William Mason
Composer
1829 – 1908
Who was William Mason?
William Mason was an American composer and pianist and a member of a musical family.
Mason's father was composer Lowell Mason, a leading figure in American church music. His younger brother, Henry Mason, was a co-founder of the piano manufacturers Mason and Hamlin.
After a successful debut at the Boston Academy of Music, William went to Europe in 1849; there he was the first American piano student of Franz Liszt and Ignaz Moscheles. Mason was the leader of a chamber ensemble based in New York that introduced many works of Robert Schumann and other famous Europeans to Americans during the Civil War era and beyond, at a time when classical music still had little specifically American identity. He published numerous pedagogical works for the piano student but is remembered above all for his Chopinesque compositions for piano.
The American composer and pianist Edward MacDowell dedicated his second piano sonata, Op. 50 Sonata Eroica, to William Mason.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- Jan 24, 1829
Boston - Also known as
- Mason, William
- Parents
- Siblings
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Died
- Jul 14, 1908
New York City
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"William Mason." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 May 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/william_mason>.
Discuss this William Mason biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In