Biography
Nolan Gasser is a critically acclaimed composer, pianist, and musicologist – most notably, the architect of Pandora Radio’s Music Genome Project. His original works have been performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, La Salle Pleyel (Paris), and the Rose Bowl (Pasadena), among many others. Key current projects include an opera, The Secret Garden, commissioned by San Francisco Opera (premiered March 1, 2013), a musical, Benny and Joon, in partnership with H2H Productions and MGM On Stage, and a forthcoming book, Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste (Macmillan Press). In December 2013, Dr. Gasser joined forces with Jason Saul, CEO of Mission Measurement, to help design the Impact Genome Project, using big data and genomic analysis to measure, predict, and improve the outcomes of social programs – now in operation. Dr. Gasser has a Ph.D. from Stanford University (in Musicology), and lives in Northern California.