BIO

Todd Mason, a Los Angeles native, Todd Mason (b.1957) received his master’s in composition from The Juilliard School, studying with David Diamond, Peter Mennin, and Elliott Carter. Mason received the Rodgers & Hammerstein Juilliard Scholarship, Juilliard’s Marion Freschl Award for a composition for voice and orchestra, the First Place Award in the National Federation of Music Clubs, First Place in the Lancaster Summer Arts Festival, and the ASCAP Young Composers award, presented by Aaron Copland. His Chamber Suite recently won the First Place Award in the American String Teachers Association 75th Anniversary Composition Contest.

Mason’s compositions have been played by the Juilliard Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic, The Brno Philharmonic, numerous leading chamber ensembles, and by members of the Budapest Philharmonic, LA Opera Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His works have been performed in Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia, and has been featured at the Lancaster (USA) Summer Arts Festival, Astoria Music Festival (where he was composer-in-residence for two years), the Laguna Beach Arts Festival, Carlsbad Music Festival, Piano Spheres, Mount Wilson Concerts in the Dome (7 times), Chamber Music Palisades, Sunset ChamberFest (composer-in-residence in 2019), the University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, University of Las Vegas, Brigham Young University, The Juilliard School and by many other leading chamber groups. Mason’s Duo for Violin and Viola (2023) was recently admitted into the prestigious Primrose International Archive’s permanent collection and has been performed around the world. His Aurora Borealis for solo clarinet was premièred at the Beethovenfest 2023 in Bonn, and the Trio for Flute, Violin and Cello at the 2022 Mount Wilson Concerts in the Dome series with Martin Chalifour, Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mason’s Violin Concerto, recorded with Dutch virtuoso Tosca Opdam and the Budapest Symphonic Scoring Orchestra conducted by Péter Illényi, was released in 2023 by Ulysses Arts with his Chamber Suite, described as a ‘stellar recording’ (Textura), ‘expressive and virtuosic’ (Classical Music Daily) and ‘a superb recording that should be listened to time and again’ (Interlude). His Magical for flute, viola, and harp was commissioned in 2023 and premièred at Chamber Music Palisades in Los Angeles. In 2024, Mason was composer-in-residence at the 2024 Syros International Classical Festival in Greece.

Mason’s current body of work includes three five quartets, and a growing list of works for various chamber ensembles and full orchestra, including his new violin concerto and his requiem for chorus and orchestra, Lux Aeterna.

In addition to composing, Mason offers a popular chamber music series in his West L.A. home, showcasing leading ensembles and premiering his new works.

Mason, described as “profoundly multitalented” is also an award-winning PBS filmmaker who produced the Primetime PBS Special “The Journey to Palomar” on the life of American telescope pioneer George Ellery Hale. Mason's computer renderings of the Giant Magellan Telescope, and other future telescopes (TMT & LSST), have appeared in the New York Times and countless websites and television programs worldwide.

“I suppose I’m a product of growing up in the 1960s and being fascinated with the Apollo moon program but also going to endless classical music concerts. I’ve always thought there was a natural connection between astronomy and music. Both are involved in the exploration of the human spirit.”

- Todd Mason

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Mason wrote an article about his time at Juilliard and the tulmutuous experience of studying with David Diamond at The Juilliard School.