Philip Glass & Tenzin Choegyal - Be the Sky

2025 Aus Vinyl LP or 6-Panel Digipak CD.

Tracklist:
1. Snowy Mountains – Gangri 06:48
2. Until Space Remains 08:59
3. Who Am I 09:15
4. River of Joy – Kyichu 06:43
5. From a Single Thought 06:08
6. Karmic Mandala 06:15
7. Be The Sky 11:17

Friends for two decades, their creative partnership began when Glass invited Choegyal to perform at Carnegie Hall, igniting a dialogue between their two distinct yet deeply connected musical worlds. Tenzin Choegyal is an acclaimed Tibetan artist whose music bridges ancestral tradition and contemporary expression. Raised in exile and now based in Australia, he channels his lineage through his art—shaping powerful compositions and serving as an ambassador for Tibetan culture and stories.

Be The Sky features original works from Choegyal and Glass’s two-decade collaboration, with Glass performing on the title track. The 7-track recording also spotlights performances by the GRAMMY Award-winning Scorchio Quartet, actress Saori Tsukada (poetry recitation), Alex Ring Gray (piano and saxophones), and refugee children from the Tibetan Children’s Village, where Choegyal himself was raised.

Centered around Tibetan poetry, including original works and pre-existing texts by the disciple, yogi, and spiritual poet Milarepa, as well as prayers by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the album honors Tibetan spirituality, reflects on life in exile, and pays tribute to elders and ancestors. The album also features artwork attributed to Tibetan artist Tenzing Rigdol, who recently exhibited his “Biography of a Thought” series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Be the Sky is my humble offering in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, a tribute to his boundless compassion, wisdom, and the enduring spirit of the Tibetan people. It also celebrates the 88th year of my dear friend and collaborator Philip Glass, whose music and generosity continue to inspire me and so many others across the world.” - Tenzin Choegyal

Opening the album, “Snowy Mountains – Gangri” (released as a single on July 4) combines traditional Tibetan instrumentation with Glass’ contemporary classical orchestration, offering a prayerful meditation on devotion and resilience. An emotional homecoming for Choegyal, the piece features the voices of over 100 children from the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamshala, where he spent his formative years. Vocals by Choegyal and the children are accompanied by Alex Ring Gray on piano, the Scorchio Quartet on strings, and reflect reverence for the Dalai Lama. “Snowy Mountains – Gangri” received its debut performance at the 2025 Tibet House Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall.
“Until Space Remains” follows with one of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s favorite verses by Shantideva:

“For as long as space remains,
As long as sentient beings remain,
Until then may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.”

Choegyal’s voice and vocalizations thread through the poem, accompanied by plucked melodies on the Dranyen, and supported by flowing string lines from Scorchio Quartet and a cyclical piano texture by Gray in Glass's classic minimalist style. The track offers a meditative reflection on compassion and cosmic presence.

With Tenzin’s poem, “Who Am I,” the album turns inward, exploring identity and the boundaries between self and collective. Choegyal performs on the Lingbu (bamboo flute), while actress Saori Tsukada recites the central poem. Interjecting voices by Tenzin Choegyal, Pemma T Richards, Alex Ring Gray, and Vicki Leona Nguyen layer meaning, as Gray’s keyboard accompaniment supports the intimate meditation on ego and belonging.

“River of Joy – Kyichu” reflects on the pivotal historical moment when the Dalai Lama escaped Tibet after the Chinese occupation in 1959. This poignant piece honors his crossing of the Kyichu River, the last time he stood on Tibetan soil. Singing over Gray’s piano and the Scorchio Quartet’s strings, Choegyal invokes memories of homeland, longing, and loss, offering a moving tribute to place and spirit. “River of Joy – Kyichu” received its premiere performance at National Sawdust in March of 2024.

Track five, “From a Single Thought,” similarly meditates on ideas of identity, remembrance, and how our actions influence the lives we live. Set against strings and a rare Klavins Una Corda piano, Choegyal’s voice gently delivers a central teaching:

“With our thoughts
we make our world,
Our mind is central
and precedes our deeds...”

The track invites listeners into a contemplative space where wisdom flows through poetic simplicity. Find a short clip of Choegyal and Glass while composing “From a Single Thought.”

“Karmic Mandala” acts as a musical map of spiritual experience, tracing the interconnectedness of actions and existence. With Choegyal on Dranyen and vocals, Gray contributes piano, saxophones, and bass. Drawing from the mandala as a symbol of self-realization, the track challenges listeners to witness the unfolding of karma across time and consciousness.

Closing the album, the title track “Be the Sky” unites Choegyal, Glass, and Tsukada in a luminous expression of spiritual oneness. Glass’s signature piano style underpins Choegyal’s nomadic song and his translation of a song by Milarepa recited by Tsukada. The closing lines speak directly to the heart of the album:

“Take your own mind,
Practice without any doubt or hesitation.
If you are happy practicing with mind,
Thoughts are the mind’s magical creations.
Be the mind itself.”