Composer | Conductor
'The Importance of Craft'
Composer and conductor Sophia Bass ’20 nurtured her creativity as a musical studies major at Oberlin, following her dual passions of ethnomusicology and film composition.
- Stephanie Manning
SOPHIA BASS & BASS PLAYERS FOR BLACK COMPOSERS (BPBC)
In 2017, Bass was hired to compose the soundtrack to a graduate thesis film from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. She pioneered the biggest film scoring project, and the only one of its kind, in the history of Oberlin College and Conservatory by recruiting a 45-member orchestra to conduct a live recording of her 22-minute soundtrack.
SOPHIA BASS ’20 AWARDED FULBRIGHT RESEARCH GRANT IN INDIA
"Sophia Bass was compelled to apply for the Fulbright after two transformative experiences that cultivated her interest in North and South Indian classical music traditions: a class she took during her junior year and an encounter with musicians from India."
- Hillary Hempstead
A CONVERSATION WITH PHLOX ENSEMBLE CONDUCTOR SOPHIA BASS
"The Phlox ensemble, an orchestra and choir promoting women and trans individuals in classical music, is an intensive winter term project that provides a space for students of traditionally underrepresented gender identities and those with a commitment to gender inclusion to engage with classical music, and celebrate repertoire by composers of these identities. We sat down with student conductor and senior Sophia Bass to find out more about her thoughts on this project."
- Hannah Schoepe
OBERLIN STUDENTS FOR GENDER INCLUSIVITY IN MUSIC PRESENTS PHLOX
"Nan Washburn, who has completed over 20 seasons as music director of the Michigan Philharmonic and has won numerous awards for her orchestral conducting and performance, conducted the orchestra alongside the student conductor, College fourth-year and Musical Studies major Sophia Bass."
- Jaimie Yue and Nina Liloia