Courses Taught
Applied Lessons
Education
PhD, University of California, Berkeley
MM, The Juilliard School
BA, Columbia College
Awards and Distinctions
Heinz Award in the Humanities
Composer-in-Residence, Kennedy Center
Composer-in-Residence, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Mason Bates Teaches "Themify the Theme"
What is your hometown?
Richmond, VA
What is your favorite recording?
Mouse on Mars: Idiology.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Surfing
Who were your major teachers?
John Corigliano, David Del Tredici, and Samuel Adler.
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
"Themify the theme." (i.e. make the theme more like a theme!)
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
“What should I be listening to?”
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
Hearing Gershwin.
What was a turning point in your career?
Discovering electronica as a college student.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
Writing words.
What is your daily practice routine?
Compose 9-1. Orchestrate 2-5.
What are your most important collaborations?
Mark Campbell (librettist for my opera) and Gus Van Sant (director of the film, Sea of Trees, for which I wrote the music).
Who have you had the privilege of teaching?
Daniel de Togni, Taylor Rankin, Jonah Gallagher, and Yangfan Xu.
What recordings can we hear you on?
Mason Bates: Works for Orchestra, SFS Media
Mothership, BMOP
Anthology of Fantastic Zoology, CSO Resound
What is your unrealized project?
An oratorio or animated film.
Media:
Composer of the blockbuster hit The Amazing Adventure of Kavalier & Clay for The Metropolitan Opera, Mason Bates is imaginatively transforming the way classical music is created and experienced as a composer, DJ, and curator. With electro-acoustic works such as Mothership and multimedia projects such as the animated film Philharmonia Fantastique, Bates has become a visible advocate for the modern orchestra and imaginatively integrates it into contemporary culture.
His deep relationship with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he was appointed the nation’s first composer-in-residence, continued with recent performances of his Grammy-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. Championed by legendary conductors from Riccardo Muti, Michael Tilson Thomas, Marin Alsop, and Leonard Slatkin, his symphonic music is the first to receive widespread acceptance for its unique integration of electronic sounds
Named as the most-performed composer of his generation, Bates has also composed for feature film, including Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees starring Matthew McConaughey and Naomi Watts. He is also a passionate advocate impacting the next generation through classical/club shows produced by Mercury Soul and his educational ecosystem Sprite’s World, which reaches hundreds of thousands of students and teachers across the country.
The magical intersection of creativity and technology informs Bates’ passion for innovative outreach and education. At a time of collapsing arts education nationwide, his hit animated film Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra offers a hip inspiration for hundreds of thousands of school children annually. Bates’ other vehicle for music outreach is Mercury Soul, which integrates classical sets in an evening of DJing and immersive production. A diverse artist exploring the ways classical music integrates into contemporary culture, Bates serves on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
