Mason Bates

Mason Bates (born 1977) is an American composer of symphonic music. Distinguished by his innovations in orchestration and large-scale form, Bates is best known for his expansion of the orchestra to include electronics. One of the most-performed composers of his generation, he has worked closely with the San Francisco Symphony and currently holds the position of composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony.

Life

Bates was raised in Richmond, Virginia, where he attended St. Christopher's School. He graduated from the Columbia University-Juilliard School Exchange Program, with a BA in music composition and English literature, where he studied with John Corigliano, David Del Tredici, and Samuel Adler. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a PhD in composition in 2008,^[1] where he studied with Edmund Campion.^[2] He was a DJ and techno artist, in Oakland, California.^[3]

Notable works include "Liquid Interface," a water symphony commissioned by the National Symphony; "The B-Sides," a symphonic suite commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony; and "Rusty Air in Carolina," a pastoral work commissioned by the Winston-Salem Symphony. He has worked closely with conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, and composer/conductor John Adams.

In 2010, Bates was commissioned to write for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011, an ensemble composed of musicians from around the world. His piece Mothership was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and went on Youtube on October 11, 2010. The piece is a mixture of acoustic and electronic elements and features sections for improvisation.

He is currently the composer in residence for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.^[4]

Awards

• 2010-12 Chicago Symphony's Mead composer in residence.^[5]
• 2007-2010 Young American Composer-in-Residence for the California Symphony^[6]
• 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship^[7]
• 2008 Van Cliburn American Composer Invitational First Prize
• 2004 Rome Prize
• 2005 American Academy in Berlin Prize
• Charles Ives scholarship
• American Academy of Arts and Letters fellowship
• Jacob Druckman Memorial Prize from Aspen Music Festival
• Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship

Symphonic Works

• "The B-Sides," for orchestra & electronica
• "Desert Transport," for orchestra
• "Liquid Interface" ^[8][9][10]
• Silicon Blues," for orchestra
• "Rusty Air in Carolina", for orchestra & electronica
• "White Lies for Lomax" ^[11]
• "Music from Underground Spaces," for orchestra & electronica
• "Omnivorous Furniture," for sinfonietta & electronica
• "Ode," prelude to the Beethoven 9th for orchestra
• "Sonic Panoply," fanfare for orchestra

Chamber/Vocal Works

• "From Amber Frozen," for string quartet
• "Red River," for violin, clarinet, cello, piano, & electronics
• "String Band," for piano trio
• "Digital Loom," for organ and electronics
• "White Lies for Lomax," for piano solo
• "The Life of Birds," for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello
• "Siren," for chorus

References

1. ^ "University Symphony Orchestra, Performance, Department of Music, UC Berkeley". Music.berkeley.edu. http://music.berkeley.edu/performance/ensemble/symphony.php. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 
2. ^ "Mason Bates, composer-in-residence". Yca.org. http://www.yca.org/bates.html. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 
3. ^ "In the Mix - Oakland, California". Oaklandmagazine.com. http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/media/Oakland-Magazine/April-2008/In-the-Mix/. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 
4. ^ "Composer Mason Bates". http://cso.org/About/Performers/Performer.aspx?id=10208. Retrieved 2010-11-17. 
5. ^ "Bates: Never Homeless", Music News: San Francisco Classical Voice, Janos Gereben, October 20, 2009
6. ^ "Mason Bates". Californiasymphony.org. http://www.californiasymphony.org/backstage/Bates. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 
7. ^ http://www.gf.org/fellows/859-mason-bates
8. ^ "Mason Bates | Explore the Arts - The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts". Kennedy-center.org. http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=5262&source_type=C. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 
9. ^ "Mason Bates: Liquid Interface - Piece Detail". LA Phil. http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/piece-detail.cfm?id=2909. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 
10. ^ Balicki, Robert (March 6, 2007). "Composer Makes A Splash With Water Symphony". The Daily Californian. Dailycal.org. http://www.dailycal.org/printable.php?id=23701. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 
11. ^ "Van Cliburn Foundation - Mason Bates". Cliburn.org. http://www.cliburn.org/index.php?page=mason-bates. Retrieved 2010-07-19. 

External links

• Artist's website
• “Rusty Air in Carolina” for orchestra & electronica (2006; 1.25 mb)

Persondata
Name	Bates, Mason
Alternative names	Mason Illyique Bates
Short description
Date of birth	1977
Place of birth	Richmond, United States
Date of death
Place of death

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