Born:
January 24, 1829; he was the third son of Lowell and Abigail Mason.
Birthplace:
Boston, Massachusetts
Died:
July 14, 1908 in New York City
Also Known As:
William Mason was a teacher, composer, piano pedagogue and piano virtuoso. He was the third son of Lowell Mason who was known as a contributor to music education and considered as the "Father of American Church Music." William Mason's brother, Henry, was one of the founders of Mason & Hamlin Company, makers of musical instruments. His nephew, Daniel Gregory Mason, was a composer and music professor at Columbia University.
Type of Compositions:
Mason mainly wrote piano works.
Influence:
He entered Boston Academy of Music and started taking piano lessons under Henry Schmidt in 1845. In 1846, Mason had his first public performance at the academy where he played Variations on the Air from Méhul’s “Joseph,” Opus 20. He traveled to other parts of the globe to further study the piano under notable composers such as Franz Liszt.
Notable Works:
Some of his compositions are "Deux Romances sans paroles, Opus 1," "Silver Spring, Op. 6," "Lullaby, Op. 10," "Reverie Poetique, Op. 24," "Capriccio Fantastico, Op. 50" and "Ballade et Barcarolle."
Interesting Facts:
Mason formed a chamber ensemble with Theodore Thomas, a violinist which was called Mason-Thomas Quartette. They performed in different venues around the globe for over 13 years. He also wrote and co-authored pedagogy books such as A Method for the Piano-Forte, A System for Beginners in the Art of Playing upon the Piano-Forte and A System of Technical Exercises for the Piano-Forte.
Music Sample:
Music samples of several of William Mason's compositions available from Naxos.