Mason Bates

Composer of the Grammy-winning opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, 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.

As the first composer-in-residence appointed by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, he presented a diverse array of artists on his series KC Jukebox using immersive production and stagecraft. Championed by legendary conductors from Riccardo Muti, Michael Tilson Thomas, Marin Alsop, and Leonard Slaktin, 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 in a recent survey of American music, Bates has also composed for feature film, including Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees starring Matthew McConaughey and Naomi Watts, and Philharmonia Fantastique, the soundtrack of which was awarded a 2022 Grammy Award.

This season features the premiere of Nomad Concerto for violinist Gil Shaham with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nezen-Seguin. Co-commissioned by Nashville Symphony and San Diego Symphony, the concerto explores the rich music of travelers, particularly Europe’s ‘music of the Roma’ with its blend of soul and rhythm. Bates’ recently premiered Piano Concerto continues to be performed by superstar Daniil Trifonov, who brings the piece this season to Chicago and Rome.

Several large works continue to be heard across the country this season, including The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs at San Francisco Opera. Awarded a 2019 Grammy, the opera explores an iconic figure of our time and the people closest to him. After the past few years have seen the second production visiting five cities to much acclaim, SF Opera brings back the original production that first launched the piece in Santa Fe.

Continuing to delight audiences of all ages is Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra, for animated film and live orchestra. The work has become Bates’ most-performed work, with close to one hundred performances in its first few years, and demonstrates the composer’s innovative approach to the orchestral medium. A collaboration with multi-Oscar-winning Gary Rydstrom of Lucasfilm and Jim Capobianco of Aerial Contrivance, the work explores the connection between creativity and technology with the help of a magical Sprite, who flies through instruments as they are played. The film is available to rent or purchase on Apple TV or stream on Apple Music, and the Grammy-winning soundtrack was recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Edwin Outwater for Sony Classical.

Highly informed by his work as a DJ, his curatorial approach integrates adventurous music, ambient information, and social platforms in a fluid and immersive way. Working in clubs under the name DJ Masonic, Bates has developed Mercury Soul, a classical club show that has packed clubs around the country. Its home series in San Francisco this season continues the organization’s celebration of spectacular spaces, with events at the Old San Francisco Mint and other exciting venues, soon to be announced.

Bates’ current focus is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for The Metropolitan Opera. Based on the bestselling novel by Michael Chabon, the opera tells the story of two Jewish cousins in 1940’s New York who go into the cartoon business, hoping to make enough money to save their family from Prague amidst the Nazi occupation. In the process they create the superhero The Escapist, which becomes a cultural phenomenon across America, even while Joe Kavalier descends into madness. Los Angeles Opera gives the world premiere in October 2024 followed by The Metropolitan Opera the following season.

A diverse artist exploring the ways classical music integrates into contemporary culture, Bates serves on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music