At the 2026 Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Mivos String Quartet will perform all three string quartets by Steve Reich, a pioneer of minimalist music and contemporary composition. To commemorate Reich’s 90th birthday, this talk will open a window into his unique musical world—tracing the course of his creative career with a focus on Different Trains (1988), Triple Quartet (1999) and WTC 9/11 (2010), three landmark works in the string quartet repertoire. Dr Daniel Lo will describe Reich’s music within its historical and cultural contexts, and examine how he transforms the traumatic memories of World War Two and events such as 9/11 into music of haunting emotional power. The talk will also unpack his highly innovative techniques, guiding audiences to discover the emotional richness and contemporary spirit embodied in the seemingly pared-back language of musical minimalism.