Christopher Mayo

{{Short description|Canadian composer}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=August 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}

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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1980}}

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| nationality = Canadian

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Christopher Mayo (born 1980) is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music.

Born in Toronto, Mayo studied at the University of Toronto where he was awarded the Glenn Gould Composition Prize and the William Erving Fairclough Scholarship and earned an Honours Bachelor of Music Degree. Mayo relocated to London in 2003, where he studied with Julian Anderson and in 2004 obtained a Master of Music in Composition from the Royal College of Music.{{citation | url=http://www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/?page=youngArtists/biogs/youngartisit05/mayo.html | accessdate=2011-05-06| title=Home}} In 2011 Mayo obtained a PhD in composition from the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with Philip Cashian. Mayo has received numerous awards including the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize in 2005 and the Ensemble contemporain de Montreal's Generation 2010 Audience Prize.{{cite news | url=http://www.lexpress.org/dossiers/vancouver-la-contemporaine/generation-2010-la-star-academie-du-classique | title=Génération 2010, la Star Académie du classique | work=L'Express du Pacifique | author=Elodie Crézé | date=2010-12-06 | accessdate=2011-05-16 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003092548/http://www.lexpress.org/dossiers/vancouver-la-contemporaine/generation-2010-la-star-academie-du-classique | archive-date=3 October 2011 | url-status=dead }}

Mayo's work has been commissioned and performed by numerous ensembles and organizations such as the London Symphony Orchestra,{{citation | url=http://lso.co.uk/page/3161/Composers | accessdate=2011-08-22| title=London Symphony Orchestra – 404}} the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra,{{citation | url=http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=composer.FA_dsp_biography&authpeopleid=63274&by=M | accessdate=2011-08-22 | title=Canadian Music Centre | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115113940/http://www.musiccentre.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=composer.FA_dsp_biography&authpeopleid=63274&by=M | archive-date=15 January 2013 | url-status=dead }} BBC Symphony Orchestra,{{citation | url=http://www.carnegiehall.org/Event.aspx?id=2400 | accessdate=2011-04-29}} Tête à Tête Opera),{{citation | url=http://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/archive/blind-date/ | accessdate=2011-08-22| title=Blind Date}} Ensemble contemporain de Montreal,{{cite news | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/guitar-solos-and-a-blindfolded-orchestra-chamber-music-gets-deep-and-funny/article1791395 | title=Guitar solos and a blindfolded orchestra – chamber music gets deep and funny | work=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto | author=Elissa Poole | date=2010-11-09 | accessdate=2011-05-01}} Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne,{{citation | url=http://www.lenem.ca/site%20nem/pages%20saison1011/domforget_a.html | accessdate=2011-08-22 | title=Archived copy | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810041020/http://www.lenem.ca/site%20nem/pages%20saison1011/domforget_a.html | archive-date=10 August 2011 | url-status=dead }} ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble) and L'arsenale,{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/arts/music/at-mata-festival-christopher-adler-acme-and-others-review.html | title=Seven Composers, Seven Countries | work=The New York Times | author=Allan Kozinn | date=2011-05-11 | accessdate=2011-05-15}} Motion Ensemble, Handel House Museum,{{citation| url=http://cms.handelhouse.org/handel2009/new_oratorio| accessdate=2011-08-22| title=Handel House Museum – New Oratorio| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130414230419/http://cms.handelhouse.org/handel2009/new_oratorio| archive-date=14 April 2013| url-status=dead}} Michael Collins and the Dante Quartet,{{citation | url=http://www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/?page=composers/commissions/commissionslist2001.html| accessdate=2011-08-22| title=Home}} {{proper name|arraymusic}}, Carnegie Hall{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/arts/music/dawn-upshaw-and-students-at-zankel-hall-review.html|title=Dawn Upshaw and Students at Zankel Hall|author=Steve Smith|date=2011-04-18|work=The New York Times|accessdate=2011-05-15}} and the MATA Festival. Mayo wrote a piece for inclusion on the NMC Recordings album The NMC Songbook{{citation | url=http://www.nmcrec.co.uk/recording/nmc-songbook#78 | accessdate=2011-08-22}} which won the 2009 Gramophone Contemporary Award.[http://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/disc-award/contemporary Gramophone Contemporary Award 2009], Gramophone. Retrieved 2011-05-15. Mayo's music has been performed at festivals such as Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival, Aldeburgh Festival and Cheltenham Music Festival. In September 2012, Mayo was announced as the Manchester Camerata Composer in Residence for the 2012/13 season{{citation|url=http://www.manchestercamerata.co.uk/news/chris-mayo-announced-as-new-composer-in-residence|accessdate=2012-10-31}}{{cite news|url=http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_news.php?id=2199|title=Manchester Camerata Announces Christopher Mayo As New Composer in Residence|date=2012-10-08|work=The Classical Source|accessdate=2012-10-31}} during which time he wrote three new works for the ensemble.

Mayo is a member of the Camberwell Composers Collective along with fellow composers Mark Bowden (composer), Anna Meredith, Emily Hall and Charlie Piper.{{citation |url=http://www.camberwellcomposerscollective.com |accessdate=2011-08-22 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907073142/http://www.camberwellcomposerscollective.com/ |archivedate=7 September 2011 |title=Camberwell Composers' Collective – Camberwell Composers' Collective }} Together with his fellow Camberwell Composers Collective members, Mayo served as New Music Associate at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge from 2008 to 2010.{{citation | url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/dp/2007111509| accessdate=2011-08-22}} In 2009 Mayo appeared in the BBC Two television documentary Classic Goldie in which he assisted the UK drum and bass musician Goldie to write a commission for performance in the 2009 Proms season.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jul/19/goldie-the-interview| title=The Interview: Goldie | work=The Guardian | author=Lynn Barber | date=2009-07-19 | accessdate=2011-05-15}}

Mayo has also undertaken numerous orchestration projects for notable pop music artists including collaborations for the Polaris Music Prize{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/1-composer-3-polaris-music-prize-nominees-giving-shortlisted-artists-a-classical-composition-1.4162491|title=1 composer, 3 Polaris Music Prize nominees: giving shortlisted artists a classical composition |publisher=CBC Radio|access-date=2018-04-17|language=en-US}} and with Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/carly-rae-jepsens-synth-pop-goes-symphonic-with-the-tso/article35318855/|title=Carly Rae Jepsen's synth-pop goes symphonic with the TSO|access-date=2018-04-17}}{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/dreaming-of-canada-with-carly-rae-jepsen|title=Dreaming of Canada with Carly Rae Jepsen|last=Tolentino|first=Jia|author-link=Jia Tolentino|date=2017-06-19|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=2018-04-17|language=en|issn=0028-792X}} and Canadian Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/toronto-symphonys-new-creations-festival-breaks-away-from-convention/article34230235/|title=TSO's New Creations Festival breaks away from convention|access-date=2018-04-17}}

Mayo's recent premieres have included commissions for Crash Ensemble{{Cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/culture/2017/0224/855121-new-music-dublin-crash/|title=Crash Ensemble on Crashing New Music Dublin|date=2017-02-27|work=RTE.ie|access-date=2018-04-17|language=en}} and Alarm Will Sound.{{Cite news|url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/composers-establish-connections-during-week-long-festival/article_43b79a98-73cf-11e7-8f9d-276cc14ffa41.html|title=Composers establish connections during week-long festival|last=Lagore|first=Connor|work=Columbia Missourian|access-date=2018-04-17|language=en}}

As a distinguished alumni, Mayo was named an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in their 2018 Honours and Awards list.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ram.ac.uk/about-us/news/academy-honours-announ|title=Academy Honours Announced – Royal Academy of Music|website=ram.ac.uk|access-date=2018-04-17|archive-date=30 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830124321/https://www.ram.ac.uk/about-us/news/academy-honours-announ|url-status=dead}}