Dear Mason Music Family,

Please join us for our Dewberry School of Music Fall 2026 Concert Series!  We invite you to purchase tickets now for our tremendous lineup of outstanding concerts, including Mason Choirs Concert Celtic Voices on October 13, Mason Symphony Orchestra Concert on October 21, and Mason Jazz Ensemble Concert on October 22.  Each of these evening ticketed concerts take place in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall.

We are excited to welcome you to our Faculty Artist Showcase Recital on Sunday afternoon October 25 at 3 pm in our Center for the Arts Concert Hall. This concert is free admission and features many of our amazing performance faculty in the Dewberry School of Music.

We are grateful to our Friends of Music at Mason for your enthusiastic support of our Dewberry School of Music students and faculty. 

With my warmest regards,

Dr. Linda A. Monson, Director
Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

As the leaves turn and autumn settles in, join us for an evening of soul-stirring music from the Celtic tradition. Celtic Voices brings together the George Mason University Chorale and University Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. Lisa Billingham, Director of Choral Activities at George Mason University, in collaboration with Ars Gratia Populi, led by conductor and Mason alum Kevin Elam, for a program celebrating the rich choral heritage of Ireland and Scotland.

The concert will feature beloved Isle classics including the haunting Irish air Wild Mountain Thyme and the vibrant Geantraí, alongside choral arrangements by Michael McGlynn, whose settings of Irish folk melody and myth have become modern classics of the Celtic choral repertoire.

Celebrate “Beginnings and Triumphs” with the Mason Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall!

Long before he transformed the musical world with his groundbreaking symphonies, Ludwig van Beethoven introduced himself to Vienna with a remarkable debut of his first symphony. Symphony No. 1 honors the elegance and balance of the Classical tradition while revealing the bold imagination that would soon redefine it. Fresh, energetic, and full of surprises, the work offers a glimpse of a young composer poised on the threshold of greatness.

Opening the program is Verdi’s stirring Nabucco Overture, a dramatic curtain-raiser drawn from the opera that launched the composer’s international career. Filled with sweeping melodies, brilliant orchestral colors, and moments of both grandeur and lyricism, it provides a fitting introduction to an evening celebrating the beginnings of two musical giants. Together, these works illuminate the early sparks of genius that would grow into some of the most influential voices in classical music history.

Continuing this celebratory evening is Karel Butz’s Three Metallic Spires, inspired by The Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The memorial’s spires are associated with the Air Force’s three core values, “Integrity first,” “Service before self,” and “Excellence in all we do.” Bursting with an Americana and dreamy spirit, the works’ open harmonies and expansive melodic lines represent the three spires soaring triumphantly towards the heavens.

Tickets: $20 Adults, $15 Senior, $10 Youth

The Mason Jazz Ensemble will present an evening of straight-ahead jazz that celebrates the rich tradition of America's music while looking confidently toward its future. The program will also pay tribute to the life and artistry of the legendary Sonny Rollins, whose fearless creativity, boundless imagination, and lifelong pursuit of artistic excellence inspired generations of musicians around the world. Through the music of the great jazz masters, we honor a tradition that continues to embody freedom, collaboration, innovation, and the highest ideals of our shared cultural heritage. 

Max Crofton, tuba
T.J. Wible, flute
Eunae Ko Han, piano
Christopher Jewell, bassoon
Fred Marcellus, trumpet
Kathy Gardiner Mulcahy, clarinet

Laura Kaufman Mowry, flute
Dennis Edelbrock, trumpet
Andrew Smith, baritone (voice)
Anna Balakerskaia, piano
Linda Apple Monson, piano

The George Mason Jazz Faculty return to Blues Alley on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - election day!  Joining them will be special guests, JAZZ COMBO I, under the direction of Dr. Shawn Purcell.  We look forward to celebrating "all things democracy" with America's truest artform, JAZZ! ½ Price student tickets at the 9:30pm show.  

The George Mason Jazz Workshop, directed by John Kocur, explores the creative possibilities of improvisation and composition in a fresh and experimental way. Workshops are places of craft and collaboration. When Charles Mingus and George Russell chose the name "workshop" for their own jazz ensembles, they framed their music as serious art in progress. Join us as we pay tribute to that tradition by presenting re-arrangements of classic compositions by jazz legends Joe Henderson, Mary Lou Williams, and Wes Montgomery, alongside new jazz compositions by Dan Pugach, Chuck Israels, and Roxy Coss. Audience members should expect an engaging show filled with creativity, joy, and the spontaneity of live jazz.

The concert will feature the Brass Ensemble, quintets, and trios, coached by Dr. Steiger, Professor Marcellus, Dr. Crofton, and Carson Ross. Composers will include Gustav Holst, Amparo Edo Biol, J.S. Bach, Howard J. Buss, Hermann Bellstedt, Victor Ewald, and Anthony Holborne. 

Preparation, Adaptability & the Professional Reputation That Sustains a Career.

A masterclass using the evolution of a working musician's career to help students understand how preparation, curiosity, adaptability, collaboration, and reputation create opportunity. 

"Proclaimed by The New Yorker as “The Man to Call When You Need a Cimbalom. (A What?)”, Chester Englander has introduced the sonic and emotional power of the cimbalom into the mainstream consciousness. Acclaimed for his “unnerving dexterity” (San Francisco Chronicle), his “boldly played” (Los Angeles Times), “vivid” (The New York Times), and “expert” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) performances as the solo cimbalom of John Adams’ Scheherazade.2, and praised by the NYT for the “brilliant clarity” of his performance of the featured cimbalom part within Mr. Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, Chester has built a varied career as a percussionist and concert cimbalom player with creative institutions throughout the country."

Seth Carter is the Principal Tubist of the National Symphony Orchestra. A native of Paris Texas, he began his appointment with the NSO in September 2026. Seth previously held Principal Tuba positions with the Omaha Symphony and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

As a soloist, Seth is a two-time gold medalist at the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival. In addition, he has received prizes at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference (ITEC), the South-Central Tuba-Euphonium Conference (SCRTEC), and the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC). He attended the Aspen Music Festival, where he was selected as the winner of the Brass Division Concerto Competition.

Seth holds degrees from the University of North Texas and the Colburn Conservatory. As a teacher, Seth most recently served as Guest Lecturer of Tuba at Augustana University and Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at Purdue University Fort Wayne. His teachers include Aaron Tindall, Donald Little, Matthew Good, and Warren Deck.

Jessica Muñiz is a music career consultant, composer/producer, author, and Assistant Professor of Music Business at the University of North Texas. She is the Founder/Owner of NIZCO Music, a consultancy dedicated to empowering artists and fostering sustainable careers in the music industry. Jessica serves in leadership roles with several professional organizations, including the Board of Governors for The Recording Academy (Texas Chapter) and the College Music Society, and holds voting membership for both the GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY® Awards. Recognized for her contributions to music industry education and mentorship, she was a 2024 Music Business Educator of the Year nominee (Music Business Association) and a 2026 SXSW Official Music Mentor. Her composition and production credits span major media networks and platforms, including IMAX, PBS, Univision, MundoFOX, and Universal Production Music. 

Samuel Kim, Piano, Senior Recital
Friday, October 9 at 7:00 PM
Harris Theatre 

Scott William Sabo, Trumpet, Doctoral Recital
Friday, October 9 at 8:00 PM
deLaski 3001

Hao Zhang, Piano, Doctoral Lecture Recital
Saturday, October 10 at 3:00 PM,
Harris Theatre

Xin Wang, Piano, Doctoral Recital
Saturday, October 10 at 6:00 PM
Harris Theatre

Annie Li, Flute, Non-Degree Master's Recital
Thursday, October 15 at 8:00 PM
deLaski 3001

Steven Blake, Trumpet, Master's Recital
Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 PM
deLaski 3001

deLaski Performing Arts Building
George Mason University Fairfax Campus

This event is free and open to violin, viola, and cello students from 8th grade to 12th grade, and college freshman. Intermediate and advanced players welcome. Participants will have the opportunity to work with George Mason University faculty in instrument-specific technique classes and end the day by exploring a piece together. Please bring your instrument. For questions, please contact June Huang, Director of Strings

11:00am - 6:00pm 
De Laski Performing Arts Building | Harris Theatre
Free and Open to the Public 

Classes and rehearsals will take place in the De Laski Performing Arts Building. The closing concert will take place at 5:00pm in the Harris Theatre, featuring the Joint Bass Quartet and Jessica Powell Eig!  

Do you play a brass instrument? If the answer is yes, then we want YOU to join us this fall for the Dewberry School of Music annual Brass Day event on Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Brass Day will feature members of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band and is a free event open to 6th through 12th grade brass students. 

Calling all high school percussionists! Join the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music for the 2026 Mason Percussion Day on November 9 from 9:00 a.m.  to 2:30 p.m. at George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus! Spend the day learning, playing, and exploring percussion alongside Mason faculty and fellow young musicians from across the region. This FREE event is open to percussionists in grades 9–12, and all skill levels are welcome!

Our Mason Percussion faculty clinicians include:
Professor Jon Bisesi, Co-Coordinator of Percussion; Professor John Spirtas, Co-Coordinator of Percussion; Professor Jonathan Rance, Timpani; and Dr. Kanako Chikami, Marimba.

Come ready for a full day of clinics, masterclasses, ensemble experiences, and hands-on music-making designed to challenge and inspire the next generation of percussionists.
Don’t forget your stick bag and your Percussion Section Friends!
Questions? Contact Professor Jon Bisesi at jbisesi@gmu.edu