Mason Bates is just starting his fifth year of residency with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, "the Ferrari of orchestras" in his words. This is no faint praise from someone whose work is performed constantly by some of the top ensembles in the world, and is in constant demand both as a composer and in his alter-ego form, DJ Masonic.
Make sure to check out his website for his regularly updated blog and his Facebook page for tons of interesting updates about his high-flying musical activities. He's been a driving force behind "Mercury Soul" which has brought some tradition-breaking genre-crossing to the Chicago Symphony's season. The high-energy evenings of Mercury Soul have some of the same sense for freeing up audience expectations for contemporary classical music and bringing a level of familiarity to peoples' surroundings that we aim for in our Sampler Packs, so we hope to count Mason as a kindred spirit in his aims to open up the possibilities and venues for new music.
If you're looking to energize your day, check out his orchestral lift-off, Mothership: