American composer Todd Mason brings us his new exciting and gripping Violin Concerto and Chamber Suite for String Orchestra , featuring the talented Dutch violinist Tosca Opdam and the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. Set to be released on 29 September, 2023 with Ulysses Arts.

During the pandemic, Todd committed to writing a violin concerto, a dream he had cherished for years. Contemplating the significance of composing a concerto in today’s era, the aim was to craft a genuine adventure for the soloist, orchestra, and listeners—an ode to virtuosity, while primarily creating a captivating musical tale. 

The outcome materialised as a single continuous movement, spanning 24 minutes, which transports listeners through a cascade of sounds and emotions. In his Chamber Suite for String Orchestra, a reworking of Todd’s String Quartet No. 2, he sought to establish a unique and coherent musical language. 

As a Los Angeles native and fellow Juilliard alumni, Todd gained his master’s at the esteemed music school while studying with David Diamond, Peter Mennin, and two years of doctorate-level work with Elliott Carter.

He received the Rodgers & Hammerstein Juilliard Scholarship, Juilliard’s Marion Freschl Award for a composition for voice and orchestra, first place in the National Federation of Music Clubs composition contest, First Place in the Lancaster Summer Arts Festival, and the ASCAP Young Composers award, presented by Aaron Copland.

Chamber ensembles who have premiered Mason’s work include The Lyris Quartet,The Angeles Quartet,The Argus Quartet,The Debussy Trio,The Los Angeles Wind Quintet, the SAKURA cello quintet, The Alex Iles Brass Quintet, Grammy-winning soprano Hila Plitmann, The Saguaro PianoTrio, The Viennese Piano Duo, and many leading members of the LA Opera Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Long Beach Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Described as “profoundly multitalented”, Mason 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.