Good vibrations: Happy 90th birthday Dalai Lama, with love Tenzin and Philip
Celebrated Brisbane musician Tenzin Choegyal’s next album is another collaboration with the great American composer Philip Glass – and its single release on July 4 is in celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday.
Working on a new album with composer Philip Glass is a dream collaboration for Brisbane-based musician Tenzin Choegyal.
Choegyal, who came to Australia as a refugee, has made a name for himself as a bit of a world music star. His friendship and collaborations with revered American composer Philip Glass has been a meaningful journey together.
Glass, now 88, is a Tibetan Buddhist, like Choegyal, although Glass is more devout and spiritually accomplished, insists Choegyal.
Glass is a supporter of the Tibetan cause and the Dalai Lama and Glass and Choegyal collaborated writing the soundtrack for the 2016 film documentary The Last Dalai Lama? The pair have done other projects together.
Glass has been involved in the annual Tibet House Benefit Concert held at Carnegie Hall in New York and Choegyal has been a regular guest performer at that event (he played there in March), where he has shared the stage with musical luminaries such as Michael Stipe, Patti Smith and Laurie Anderson, among others.
Choegyal is regarded as one of the finest world music artists of Tibetan lineage (his last album, a collaboration with Australian musician Matt Corby, called Snow Flower, was released in January 2025) and he performs at festivals all over the world. He also famously ushers in the New Year at the Woodford Folk Festival.
Choegyal is based in the Brisbane suburb of The Gap, where he lives with his wife Bronwyn Richards and their two children, Pemma and Tashi.
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Glass and Chogyal’s new collaborative album, Be The Sky (on Glass’s Orange Mountain Music label), will be released in November. Before then, and to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday on July 6, a single from the album will be released on July 4.
Snowy Mountains – Gangri – shorturl.at/svAPE – is an evocative track weaving traditional Tibetan instrumentation with Glass’s contemporary classical orchestrations, offering a prayerful meditation on devotion, resilience and spiritual connection.
Sung by Choegyal with more than 100 Tibetan refugee children from the Tibetan Children’s Village – an orphanage and school in Dharamshala where Choegyal himself was raised – the lyrics are a heartfelt prayer for the long life of Tibetans’ spiritual leader.
In the land encircled by snowy mountains, Is the source of all happiness and benefit, All-compassionate Tenzin Gyatso, Ocean of Wisdom, May you stand firm until samsara ends.
This track marks an emotional homecoming for Choegyal, who returned to the Tibetan Children’s Village where he spent his formative years to record with current students.
It is a timeless tribute to His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. Composed by Choegyal and Glass, featuring Alex Ring Gray on piano and the Grammy-winning Scorchier Quartet, the piece is a richly layered, emotionally resonant soundscape and a powerful fusion of two musical worlds.
“This song is our humble offering in honour of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama’s, 90th birthday,” Chogyal says. “It also celebrates the 88th year of my dear friend and collaborator Philip Glass – two extraordinary wisdom holders who continue to inspire so many.”
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The song was premiered at Carnegie Hall, New York, in March for the 38th Annual Tibet House Benefit Concert, featuring Choegyal and a choir of Tibetan children living in Jackson Heights, Queens.
The entire Be the Sky album will be released later this year on vinyl and on all digital platforms. Snowy Mountains – Gangri will be available on all major streaming platforms from July 4.
The cover art for the album is by Tibetan contemporary artist Tenzin Rigdol, from his Biography of a Thought series that was exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York earlier this year.
Be the Sky is produced by Choegyal and Alex Ring Gray, with generous support from The Tibet Fund, The Sea Stone Foundation, The Green Dragons Fund, Orange Mountain Music and many friends and family.
To collaborate with Glass is now relatively commonplace for Choegyal, but he never takes it for granted. Back at home in Brisbane he reflects on his fortunate position.
“Philip Glass is without a doubt the greatest living composer,” Choegyal says. “It’s fortunate that a simple Tibetan artist who was born in exile gets to do this. I never dreamt I would be working with him.”
Choegyal and his trusty drangyen (a kind of Tibetan lute) will be heading to Sydney and Melbourne and back for performances in Brisbane to mark the Dalai Lama’s 90th.
“The whole Tibetan diaspora will be celebrating in a grand way,” he says.
Choegyal has met the Dalai Lama on numerous occasions and says he listens to his teachings daily online by logging onto tibet.net and dalailama.com. He urges everyone to do the same.