Missy Mazzoli facts for kids

Missy Mazzoli after the premiere of her opera Proving Up at the Kennedy Center, 2018

Missy Mazzoli (born October 27, 1980) is an American composer and pianist. She teaches music composition at the Mannes College of Music. In 2018, she made history by becoming one of the first two women to get a special music project from the Metropolitan Opera House. Missy also started and plays keyboards for a band called Victoire. It's an electro-acoustic band, meaning it mixes electronic sounds with traditional instruments.

From 2012 to 2015, she was a composer-in-residence with Opera Philadelphia. This means she worked closely with them to create new music. Her music is published by G. Schirmer. Missy has won several awards, including a 2015 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award and a Fulbright Grant. In 2018, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Composition. She also served as the Mead Composer-in-Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for two seasons. In 2022, she became the Bragg Artist-in-Residence at Mount Allison University in Canada.

Missy Mazzoli's Early Life and Studies

Missy Mazzoli was born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. She studied music at several well-known schools. She earned her bachelor's degree from Boston University's College of Fine Arts. Later, she received her master's degree from the Yale School of Music in 2006. She also continued her studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in the Netherlands.

After her studies, Missy Mazzoli shared her knowledge with others. In 2006, she taught composition in the music department at Yale University. In 2013, she was a guest lecturer at New York University. From 2007 to 2010, she was the executive director of the MATA Festival in New York City. This festival helps new and emerging composers share their work.

Missy Mazzoli's Music and Albums

From 2012 to 2015, Missy Mazzoli was a composer-in-residence with Opera Philadelphia. She also worked with the Gotham Chamber Opera and Music Theatre-Group. In 2011 and 2012, she was a composer and educator in residence with the Albany Symphony.

Missy Mazzoli has released three full-length albums of her music. Her first album, Cathedral City, came out in 2010. It was written for her band, Victoire. In 2012, she released Song from the Uproar, which was the original recording of her first opera. Her third album, Vespers for a New Dark Age, was released in 2015. This work was for her band Victoire. It also featured percussionist Glenn Kotche from the band Wilco. The album included vocalists Martha Cluver, Melissa Hughes, and Virginia Kelsey. Vespers for a New Dark Age was asked for by Carnegie Hall. It was first performed there in February 2014. All of Missy Mazzoli's albums were released by New Amsterdam Records.

Missy Mazzoli's Operas

Missy Mazzoli is well-known for her operas. Operas are plays where the story is told mostly through singing.

SALT

SALT is a short opera, about 20 minutes long. It retells the story of Lot's wife from the Bible. It features a voice, a cello, and electronic sounds. SALT was performed at the 2012 BAM Next Wave Festival in Brooklyn. It was also shown at UNC Chapel Hill. Missy Mazzoli wrote it for cellist Maya Beiser and singer Helga Davis. The play was directed by Robert Woodruff. The words for the opera were written by Erin Cressida Wilson.

Song from the Uproar

Missy Mazzoli's first full opera is called Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt. It is based on the life of Isabelle Eberhardt, a Swiss explorer and writer. This opera first showed at The Kitchen in New York in March 2012. Missy worked with writer Royce Vavrek, filmmaker Stephen Taylor, and director Gia Forakis to create it.

The Wall Street Journal called this opera "powerful and new." The New York Times said that Missy Mazzoli's music had an "electric surge." They felt it showed the "joy, risk, and limitless potential of free spirits unbound." The original recording of Song from the Uproar was released in November 2012. In October 2015, LA Opera presented the second full production of the opera.

Breaking the Waves

Missy Mazzoli's opera Breaking the Waves is based on a 1996 film. The film won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Royce Vavrek wrote the story for the opera. Opera Philadelphia and Beth Morrison Projects asked Missy to create this opera. It first showed in Philadelphia on September 22, 2016. It received many good reviews.

Opera News said that Breaking the Waves is "among the best 21st-century American operas yet produced." Heidi Waleson from The Wall Street Journal wrote that Missy's music created a "complex portrait" of the characters. She said Missy's music was unique. The opera was nominated for an International Opera Award in 2017. It also won the first Music Critics Association of North America Award for Best New Opera in 2017. In 2019, Scottish Opera announced that they would take Breaking the Waves on a world tour.

Proving Up

In 2018, Missy Mazzoli's third opera, Proving Up, premiered. She worked again with writer Royce Vavrek. This opera is based on a short story by Karen Russell. Washington National Opera, Opera Omaha, and Miller Theatre asked for this work. It was written for baritone John Moore and soprano Talise Trevigne.

The Washington Post called the opera “harrowing…powerful…a true opera of our time.” Musical America called it “brilliant.” Proving Up was performed by the Lyric Opera of Chicago in their 2021-2022 season.

The Listeners

In 2022, Missy Mazzoli's fourth opera, The Listeners, premiered. She worked with writer Royce Vavrek once more. The story for this opera was an original idea by Jordan Tannahill. Opera Philadelphia and Lyric Opera of Chicago asked for this work. It was first performed at the Oslo Opera House in Norway. The Norwegian National Opera staged the premiere.

Lincoln in the Bardo

Missy Mazzoli's opera Lincoln in the Bardo is based on a popular novel by George Saunders. Royce Vavrek wrote the story for this opera. The Metropolitan Opera in New York asked for this work. It is planned to premiere at the English National Opera in autumn 2025. It will then be shown at the Met in 2026.

Missy Mazzoli's Work in Movies and TV

Missy Mazzoli also wrote and performed several songs for the TV show Mozart in the Jungle. This show was about classical music. One of her notable songs was "Impromptu." She also created other music that was presented in the show. This music was said to be by a character named Thomas Pembridge, a retired conductor.

Awards and Nominations