Grace-Evangeline Mason: Her Life and Music
Grace-Evangeline Mason's ethereal musical language embraces a variety of orchestral textures, and has been championed by orchestras around the world. Part of a profile series throughout March—Women’s History Month—in which we explore the lives, music, and inspirations of extraordinary composers from around the world. View more women composer profiles here.
Her Story
Grace-Evangeline Mason, born in 1994 and hailing from the West Midlands, has swiftly risen to prominence with a diverse musical background that includes mastering the trombone, clarinet, and piano. Her musical journey unfolded at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and the University of Oxford, and she is currently pursuing her Doctorate in composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Mason's talent came to the forefront at the age of 18 when she clinched the BBC Young Composer competition in 2013. Her remarkable career has been punctuated by several accolades, including the Rosamond Prize, the Christopher Brooks Prize from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize.
In 2016, Mason ventured into opera with The Yellow Wallpaper, which explores themes of mental health. Her BBC Proms debut in 2017 featured the chamber orchestra work River, commemorating the 300th anniversary of Handel’s Water Music.
> Watch The Yellow Wallpaper in performance
Mason's most widely performed work to date is The Imagined Forest for orchestra, which was premiered at the BBC Proms in 2021 and has travelled to Oslo, Turin, Milan, Magdeburg, Baltimore and Adelaide. This enchanting composition, inspired by Berlin-based artist Clare Celeste Börsch's imaginative collages, received critical acclaim for its “pen-and-ink precision and vivid orchestral colour” (The Times). The BBC Proms 2023 programme showcased her latest orchestral piece ABLAZE THE MOON with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Mark Wigglesworth.
Mason's oeuvre continues to expand with her latest choral work, Memory of the Ocean, commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society. This collection, inspired by Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony, received performances in Bristol and the Netherlands.
Named a 'face to watch' by The Times in 2020, Mason's trajectory is only ascending. Her commitment to pushing artistic boundaries, coupled with her ability to explore societal themes, positions her as a leading young figure in contemporary classical music.
Her sound:
Mason’s output embraces operatic, orchestral, chamber, choral and electronic works. The composer creates ethereal sonic landscapes often inspired by art, poetry and literature to take a listener on a narrative journey. Mason describes how “I always feel I’m chasing an elusive soundworld, and with each piece I’m getting a bit closer to capturing it”.
Collaborators:
Grace-Evangeline Mason’s music has been performed by members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Aurora Orchestra, and Ensemble 10/10.
In recent years, the composer has had a close association with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and chief conductor Domingo Hindoyan, which has led to several European performances of The Imagined Forest, as well as collaborations with the chorus and youth chorus.
Conductor Mark Wigglesworth has championed her music, presenting performances of The Imagined Forest with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and the premiere of ABLAZE THE MOON in 2023.
