John Cage was born 100 years ago in Los Angeles on 5 September 1912 and died in New York 20 years ago on 12 August 1992.

The influence of his compositions, writings and personality has been felt by a wide range of composers around the world. He has had a greater impact on music in the 20th century than any other American composer (Grove).

A tribute to his genius was organized by the Heads of Music of EBU Radio Members, who had their annual Plenary meeting in Geneva on 31 May and 1 June 2012, by forming an ephemeral EBU Euroradio Orchestra, where each of them performed either their own instrument or a traditional instrument of their country to play John Cage’s masterpiece “4’33” at the Wilsdorf Concert Hall, Geneva.
 

Sixty years ago, in 1952 John Cage stated that it was quite irrelevant what specific sounds happened within the constraints of a rhythmic structure and composed its most provocative work : 4′ 33″ (4 minutes and 33 seconds), the final realization of his long-planned ‘Silent Prayer’. The piece consists of three movements, each completely silent. First movement lasts 33 seconds; the second movement 2 minutes and 40 seconds and the last movement 1 minute and 40 seconds. The work was first performed at Woodstock, New York on 29 August 1952. 4′ 33″  has become Cage’s most famous and controversial creation.