Patrick Mason, a University of Colorado at Boulder associate professor of music, has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Classical Vocal Performance category for his album "Songs of Amy Beach."
Grammy officials today named Mason, accompanied on the collection by pianist Joanne Polk, one of five artists nominated in the category.
Mason, who was teaching and could not be reached for comment, performs an operatic concert and recital repertoire that includes songs from the early 10th century to the present. His Grammy-nominated CD features 22 songs by New England composer and pianist Amy Beach, who lived from 1867 to1944.
"It's a well-deserved tribute to his extraordinary artistry and an indication generally of the high caliber of work our faculty and students are producing," said Daniel Sher, dean of the CU-Boulder College of Music. "We are delighted that he will receive wider recognition through this nomination."
Mason, a native of the low-clay hills above the Ohio River, has had a prolific singing career featuring appearances with the Waverly Consort, one of the country's premier renaissance music ensembles, the Boston Camarata and Schola Antiqua.
Besides traveling around the world to appear in operas and recitals, he has performed and recorded with musical luminaries such as Leonard Bernstein, Elliott Carter, George Crumb, John Musto, Ellen Zwillich and Barbara Kolb.
Mason also has performed with orchestras around the United States, has taught master classes in the United States and abroad, and has recorded for half a dozen recording labels.
His Grammy-nominated "Songs of Amy Beach" is available on the Bridge Records Inc. label.