Quinn Mason, rising classical music star, to perform this weekend

On May 14, the group MusicaNova will perform at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts. It’s a rescheduling of the classical group’s 2020 date, which was postponed due to the pandemic. The performance will include a piece by 24-year-old Quinn Mason, who’s recognized as a rising star in the classical world.

Mason was asked to create an original composition for the concert. He created “Svitani,” which means ‘dawn’ or ‘sunrise’ in Czech. The piece was inspired by the pandemic and the spirit of hope.

“I really wrote this piece as a message of hope, that we’re transitioning into a new time where things are going to get better for every single one of us. I guess the overall message of my piece is to not give up hope because hope is on the way,” Mason said.

Mason is not new to the music world. He wrote his first cello piece at age 12, a piece for chamber musicians by age 14, and by age 18 he had written his first symphony. Mason got into playing the cello by first playing the piano in school.

“The more I did it, the more I built a personal connection with this music. I actually found a medium where I could express myself to people who haven’t even met me or don’t know who I am. I found that my music, especially the music I’m writing nowadays, has connected to a lot of people and people want to hear it again and it’s been played very widely, which I’m very glad for,” Mason said.

When someone leaves a concert hall having heard Mason’s music, he wants them to leave thinking about his story.

“I want them to think about my story and how I got to where I am because it wasn’t an easy path to become a composer,” Mason said. “A lot of people didn’t think I could do it because I grew up in the public school system and we didn’t really have music programs. I wasn’t really encouraged to do classical music; it’s something I found on my own,” Mason said.