Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American classical music composer. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the late-20th centuryNaxos Classical Music Spotlight podcast: Philip Glass Heroes Symphony and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public (along with precursors such as Richard Strauss, Kurt Weill and Leonard Bernstein).

Although his music is described as minimalist, he wishes to distance himself from this label, describing himself instead as a composer of "music with repetitive structures". Although his early, mature music is minimalist, he has evolved stylistically. Currently, he describes himself as a "Classicist", trained in harmony and counterpoint and studied Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert.