Missy Mazzoli, Class of 1998, is a Grammy-nominated composer, pianist, and professor. Her music has been performed all over the world by the Kronos Quartet, eighth blackbird, Dublin’s Crash Ensemble, pianist Emanuel Ax, Opera Philadelphia, Scottish Opera, Opera Comique, LA Opera, Cincinnati Opera, the Detroit Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, the Sydney Symphony, JACK Quartet, violinist Jennifer Koh, mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, and many others. In 2018 she made history when she became one of the first women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. That same year, she was nominated for a Grammy in the category of “Best Classical Composition” for her work Vespers for Violin, recorded by violinist Olivia De Prato.
Her most recent opera, The Listeners (commissioned by Opera Philadelphia, Norwegian National Opera, and Chicago Lyric Opera) was created with longtime collaborator Royce Vavrek and playwright Jordan Tannahill. The opera premiered in September 2022 in Oslo and tells an original story set in our time about our search for community and meaning, and the power of charismatic leaders who exploit these desires.
Mazzoli served as the Mead Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from July 2018 to April 2021. From 2012-2015 she was the Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia, Gotham Chamber Opera and Music Theatre Group. She is currently on faculty as Composer in Residence with the Bard College Conservatory of Music. Among her many accolades, Mazzoli is the recipient of the Musical America 2022 Composer-of-the-Year honor, three Grammy nominations, the Kravis Prize from the New York Philharmonic, and a Fulbright Fellowship.
In 2016, along with composer Ellen Reid, Mazzoli founded Luna Composition Lab, an acclaimed mentorship program and support network. Female, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers continue to make up the small minority of professional composers who are consistently performed, recorded, and celebrated. They often experience a lack of role models and encouragement to compose at a young age. To address this gender imbalance, Luna Composition Lab provides aspiring young female, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers ages 13-18 with a year of one-on-one mentorship, performance opportunities, and high-quality recordings of their work. The Lab has achieved national recognition as a program that not only celebrates underrepresented voices, but also shapes music’s future by providing a support system for continued success.
In discussing her time at North Penn High School, Mazzoli cites Dr. David Giersch and Cindy Louden as teachers who influenced her path in life. “Both were incredibly inspiring and treated us like young professionals, which I really appreciated. Given their early influence it makes sense that I started writing operas and musicals.”