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:
Performer, teacher, composer, piano pedagogue and piano virtuoso. The son of William Mason known contributor to music education and church music. Brother to Henry Mason, one of the founders of
Mason & Hamlin Company, makers of musical instruments.
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 travelled 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 Fact:
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
here.
