Christopher Mayo
Encyclopedia
Christopher Mayo is a Canadian composer
of contemporary classical music
.
Born in Toronto, Mayo studied at the University of Toronto
where he was awarded the Glenn Gould Composition Prize and the William Erving Fairclough Scholarship and earned an Honours Bachelor of Music Degree. Mayo relocated to London in 2003, where he studied with Julian Anderson
and in 2004 obtained a Master of Music in Composition from the Royal College of Music
. In 2011 Mayo obtained a Ph.D in Composition from the Royal Academy of Music
where he studied with Philip Cashian
. Mayo has received numerous awards including the Royal Philharmonic Society
Composition Prize in 2005 and the Ensemble contemporain de Montreal's Generation 2010 Audience Prize.
Mayo's work has been commissioned and performed by numerous ensembles and organizations such as the London Symphony Orchestra
, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
, BBC Symphony Orchestra
, Tête à Tête Opera), Ensemble contemporain de Montreal, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
, ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble) and L'arsenale, Motion Ensemble
, Handel House Museum
, Michael Collins and the Dante Quartet,, and arraymusic
. Mayo wrote a piece for inclusion on the NMC Recordings
album The NMC Songbook which won the 2009 Gramophone Contemporary Award
. Mayo's music has been performed at festivals such as Bang on a Can
Summer Music Festival, Aldeburgh Festival
and Cheltenham Music Festival
.
Mayo is a member of the Camberwell Composers Collective along with fellow composers Mark Bowden (composer)
, Anna Meredith
, Emily Hall
and Charlie Piper. Together with his fellow Camberwell Composers Collective members, Mayo served as New Music Associate at Kettle's Yard
in Cambridge from 2008-2010. In 2009 Mayo appeared in the BBC Two
television documentary Classic Goldie
in which he assisted the UK drum and bass musician Goldie
to write a commission for performance in the 2009 Proms season.
Mayo's 2011 premieres have thus far included commissions for Carnegie Hall
and the MATA Festival.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
.
Born in Toronto, Mayo studied at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
where he was awarded the Glenn Gould Composition Prize and the William Erving Fairclough Scholarship and earned an Honours Bachelor of Music Degree. Mayo relocated to London in 2003, where he studied with Julian Anderson
Julian Anderson
Julian Anderson is a British composer and teacher of composition.-Biography:Anderson studied at Westminster School, then with John Lambert at the Royal College of Music, with Alexander Goehr at Cambridge University, privately with Tristan Murail in Paris, and on courses given by Olivier Messiaen,...
and in 2004 obtained a Master of Music in Composition from the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. In 2011 Mayo obtained a Ph.D in Composition from the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
where he studied with Philip Cashian
Philip Cashian
Philip Cashian is an English composer. He is the head of composition of the Royal Academy of Music.-Biography:Born in Manchester in 1963, Cashian studied at Cardiff University, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and in 1997 received a DMus from Durham University.His teachers have included...
. Mayo has received numerous awards including the Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...
Composition Prize in 2005 and the Ensemble contemporain de Montreal's Generation 2010 Audience Prize.
Mayo's work has been commissioned and performed by numerous ensembles and organizations such as the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra performing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in 1930 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the...
, BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
, Tête à Tête Opera), Ensemble contemporain de Montreal, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne , based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is one of the world's premier chamber orchestras specializing in contemporary classical music...
, ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble) and L'arsenale, Motion Ensemble
Motion Ensemble
Motion Ensemble is a musical group formed in New Brunswick. They play contemporary classical music and experimental music. Motion Ensemble Inc. is a non-profit organization in the province of New Brunswick founded in 1998....
, Handel House Museum
Handel House Museum
The Handel House Museum is a museum in Mayfair, London dedicated to the life and works of the German born baroque composer George Frideric Handel, who made his home in London in 1712 and eventually became a British citizen in 1727. Handel was the first occupant of 25 Brook Street, which he rented...
, Michael Collins and the Dante Quartet,, and arraymusic
Arraymusic
Arraymusic is a Canadian organization specializing in the performance and the promotion of contemporary classical music. It presents its virtuosic 7-member chamber ensemble, The Array Ensemble, each summer season in a 3-month series of Toronto-based concerts....
. Mayo wrote a piece for inclusion on the NMC Recordings
NMC Recordings
NMC Recordings is a British recording label which specialises in recording works by living British composers.-History:The composer Colin Matthews founded NMC in 1988, with financial assistance from the Holst Foundation. NMC is an abbreviation for "New Music Cassettes", which refers to the intended...
album The NMC Songbook which won the 2009 Gramophone Contemporary Award
Gramophone Award
The Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical music. The winners are selected annually by critics for the Gramophone magazine and various members of the industry, including...
. Mayo's music has been performed at festivals such as Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can is a multi-faceted classical music organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1987 by three American composers who remain its artistic directors: Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon...
Summer Music Festival, Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
and Cheltenham Music Festival
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
.
Mayo is a member of the Camberwell Composers Collective along with fellow composers Mark Bowden (composer)
Mark Bowden (composer)
Mark Bowden is a British composer of classical music.Bowden studied composition with Richard Steinitz at the University of Huddersfieldbefore completing a Masters degree at the Royal College of Music where he studied with Julian Anderson He has received commissions from the BBC Symphony...
, Anna Meredith
Anna Meredith
Anna Meredith is a composer of acoustic and electronic work, musician and music educator. She is the eldest of three children in her family. Her father is a retired university teacher of journalism, and her mother works in picture restoration...
, Emily Hall
Emily Hall
Emily Hall is a composer of classical music, electronica and songs. Her music has been performed by the Duke Quartet, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Brodsky Quartet, the London Sinfonietta, and the Philharmonia; it has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and France Culture...
and Charlie Piper. Together with his fellow Camberwell Composers Collective members, Mayo served as New Music Associate at Kettle's Yard
Kettle's Yard
Kettle's Yard is an art gallery and house in Cambridge, England.- History and overview :Kettle's Yard was originally the Cambridge home of Jim Ede and his wife Helen. Moving to Cambridge in 1956, they converted four small cottages into one idiosyncratic house and a place to display Ede's collection...
in Cambridge from 2008-2010. In 2009 Mayo appeared in the BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
television documentary Classic Goldie
Classic Goldie
Classic Goldie was a British two part documentary directed by Toby Macdonald shown on BBC Two in Summer 2009.- Background :The show was based around the Drum and Bass musician Goldie learning how to create a piece of classical music. Goldie was a competitor on the BBC television conducting series...
in which he assisted the UK drum and bass musician Goldie
Goldie
Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
to write a commission for performance in the 2009 Proms season.
Mayo's 2011 premieres have thus far included commissions for Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and the MATA Festival.