A guitarist himself, Steven Mackey is one of the few composers to write for the electric guitar in a classical context. Soon after completing his education, Mackey joined the faculty at Princeton University, where he remains as of the early 2020s. After appearing as a guitarist on several albums by others, he released his debut, Lost & Found, in 1996. He has both issued albums under his own name and seen his compositions, not all of which involve the electric guitar, performed by others. Mackey has held several composer-in-residence posts. Among his notable compositions is Dreamhouse for solo tenor, vocal quartet, electric guitar quartet and orchestra (2003). In 2022, he joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music as well.