Cancer claims an influential New York avantgardist, 69
mainTributes are flooding in for the composer and guitarist Glenn Branca, who has died of throat cancer.
His death was announced on Twitter by his wife, Reg Bloor:
#glennbranca pic.twitter.com/qfWPRf7qaw
— Reg Bloor (@RegBloor) May 14, 2018
Branca wrote 16 symphonies for unorthodox combinations of instruments, some of which he built himself for the purpose. His influence extended across many genres, from punk to minimalism.
This is very sad. Whatever you thought of his music, it was always an experience. I was at a performance that he gave in New Haven, I think in 1984. John Cage was there as well and later in a panel was asked what he thought of Glenn Branca’s piece, simply replied “it made my knees hurt.”