Steven Mackey

Full biography Steven Mackey

Steven Mackey is an American composer, guitarist, and music educator, born on February 14, 1956. He has won numerous awards for his compositions, including a Grammy Award in 2012 for his piece "Lonely Motel: Music from Slide" in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category. Mackey's compositions often blend elements of classical music with rock and pop influences, and he frequently incorporates the electric guitar into his works.

Mackey has written a wide range of pieces, including orchestral works, chamber music, and operas. Some of his notable works include "Tuck and Roll," "Eating Greens," "Four Iconoclastic Episodes," and "Groundswell," among many others. He has also collaborated with a variety of artists from different fields, including poet Billy Collins and choreographer John Jasperse.

In addition to his career as a composer, Mackey is also a respected music educator. He has taught at various institutions, including Princeton University, the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and the Royal Academy of Music in London. He is currently the William Shubael Conant Professor of Music at Princeton University.

Mackey's music has been performed by numerous orchestras and ensembles around the world, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and the Kronos Quartet, among many others.