Maestro Cancilla with the educators and participants of the 2021 South Carolina Conductors Institute.
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Mason Cancilla recently graduated from the University at Buffalo (UB) with an MM degree Conducting. While at UB he is served as the assistant conductor of the University at Buffalo Symphony Orchestra (UBSO). He is currently music director of Cantio Sacra at Canisius University and has been since 2021. During the summer of '22, Mason spent time at the Eastman School of Music studying, conducting and performing Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem. He will return this summer ('23) for Mendelssohn's Elijah. In the summer of '21, Mason spent two intensive weeks studying with eleven other conductors in the South Carolina Conductors Institute. This was his second time through the program, having been a member of the 2020 institute.
Cancilla conducted the world premiere of his Festival Mass written for the sesquicentennial celebration of Canisius College (now Canisius University) in March of 2020. A few months later, he’d earn a Bachelor of Music degree from the same school. Festival Mass was written for chamber orchestra, choir, and soprano soloist. While at Canisius from 2018-20, Cancilla was the assistant conductor of the Canisius College Chamber Orchestra and also served as it's resident composer and arranger. He performed as a member of the Canisius Chorale and pursued studies in conducting, vocal, and piano performance. In 2020 Mason was awarded the "Edith DeLuca Memorial Award for Excellence in Music". In 2018 he placed second in the 7th Annual "Persis Vehar Competition for Excellence in Composition". In 2018, Mason graduated from Niagara County Community College (NCCC) where he was invited to return on several occasions to music direct for it's Music and Theater programs - past engagements include Into the Woods and GodSpell. While a student at NCCC, Mason received the "Award for Excellence in Business, Technology, and the Arts". In 2017-18 Mason acted as Artistic Representative to New York conductor, Dr. Harold Rosenbaum. As an advocate for community arts programs, Mason has served as music director for the St. Stephen’s Parish Players on Grand Island in productions of The Wizard of Oz and 9 to 5 the Musical. From 2015-17 Mason was the stage manager and librarian for the Cheektowaga Community Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his duties at the University at Buffalo and Canisius College, Mr. Cancilla was Music Director at Corpus Christi Church (Buffalo) from 2020-2022, and continues to serve as organist at St. Andrew’s Church (Kenmore) where he also teaches general music to grades PreK-8. Most recently, Mason guest conducted the Cheektowaga Community Symphony Orchestra through two concerts in their 2022-23 season. Mason is a member of the Conductor’s Guild, the League of American Orchestras, and The Mahler Foundation. |
A full CV is also available to download here:
| mason_cancilla_curriculum_vitae.pdf |
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