Gordon Getty, the San Francisco businessman and award-winning classical-music composer, will soon have a playlist on Apple Music, alongside masters such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Amadeus Mozart.
Apple Music will roll out the playlist later this year in coordination with Getty’s 91st birthday in December. The playlist will be part of the world’s largest classical-music catalog on a streaming service, although it’s not yet clear which of Getty’s compositions made the cut.
Getty, the son of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, is worth an estimated $2.1 billion, according to Forbes. The outlet said he has given more than $200 million to his philanthropic arts foundation.
Getty has also composed music for four decades, winning the American Symphony Orchestra League’s Gold Baton in 2003. The Kennedy Center named him as an Outstanding American Composer in 1986, and the San Francisco Opera gave him the Spirit of the Opera award last year.
The Apple Music announcement was made earlier this month at Festival Napa Valley’s Angel of the Arts gala, where Getty received the “Angel of the Arts” award — the festival’s highest honor, given in celebration of outstanding contributions to the arts. Getty is one of the festival’s founding benefactors and has been a mainstay at the event for years.
Payam Mirrashidi, Apple’s vice president of engineering, told The Examiner that the collaboration with Getty has been in the works for some time to provide classical-music lovers and musicians the “optimal streaming experience that was missing from the scene.”
In 2021, Apple acquired Primephonic, a streaming service that Getty had previously invested in. Mirrashidi said that after the acquisition, the Apple team and Getty “began to get to know and appreciate each other.”
He said that the emotional immediacy and power of Getty’s music are at the forefront of the playlist. Many of the pieces have been recognized as having a strong element of a Bay Area vibe about them, he said.
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Lisa Delan, director of Getty’s music company Rork Music, said the composer is delighted that the Apple Essentials Getty playlist is being launched in the year he turns 91, adding that it was “worth the wait.”
Rick Walker, Festival Napa Valley president and CEO, said in a release that it was an honor to pay tribute to Getty during his birthday year by bestowing the festival’s “Angel of the Arts” award on him.
“Gordon’s artistry and generosity have made a profound impact on audiences and art organizations across the globe,” Walker said in a statement.
“We are proud of our association with him as an artistic partner, supporter, vintner, and most of all, friend,” he said.
Since its launch in March 2022, one of Apple Music Classical‘s most popular features is its playlists, Mirrashidi said. Users have frequently said that they enjoy playlists dedicated to particular artists or themes.
The app also has placed a strong emphasis on editorial and curated content, the likes of which are being produced to honor Getty. Mirrashidi said the goal is to create a project that all classical fans can gravitate to in appreciation, whether a listener be an expert or a beginner looking for guidance.
The highlight throughout this endeavor for the team has been “being able to recognize and celebrate a living composer,” he said.
