Dear Mason Music Family,

What a wonderful month of September performances we have enjoyed together.  Thank you for your support last weekend at Arts by George!  Please join us for outstanding concerts presented by our Dewberry School of Music during the upcoming weeks.  

We hope to see you Tuesday, September 30 at 7:30 pm for our Mason Bands "Celebration in Motion" concert!  Conducted by Dr. William Lake, this concert features our Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band.   We are excited to welcome the Centreville High School Wind Ensemble, conducted by Mason Music alumna Melissa Hall, as a featured guest in this concert.

Please reserve the date of Tuesday, October 14 at 8 pm for the University Chamber Singers and the University Chorale concert, conducted by Dr. Lisa Billingham. This concert features choral works from across the centuries by composers Palestrina, Arvo Pärt, and Kirke Mechem.

The Mason Symphony Orchestra, led by Dr. Soo Han, presents their first concert of the season on Wednesday, October 15 at 8 pm in the Center for the Arts. Conducted by Dr. Soo Han, this concert features works by Mozart, Saint-Saens, and Sibelius. 

Please also join us for Mason Opera Scenes on Monday October 20, Mason Jazz Ensemble on  Thursday October 23, and the Faculty Artist Showcase Recital on Sunday, October 26 at 3 pm.  

We were thrilled to celebrate the Friends of Music at Mason  20th Anniversary on September 21. Thanks to our marvelous Friends of Music at Mason for all that you do for our students!

Warm regards,

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

The Mason Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony proudly open the 55th Anniversary year of the Mason Bands with Celebrations in Motion—a vibrant program of historical and contemporary works that explore the idea of celebration through energy, reflection, and musical movement. The Symphonic Band program includes Adrian B. Sims’s Centennial Celebrations, a thrilling work filled with brilliant fanfares that herald the beginning of a yearlong tribute to the Mason Bands’ rich history. 

The Mason Wind Symphony portion of the concert features a compelling array of works that explore modern voices, historical depth, and cultural expression. The evening includes Roshanne Etezady’s Shoutout, a high-octane work bursting with syncopation, color, and urban groove. Lili Boulanger’s D’un Matin de Printemps offers a brief but radiant glimpse of spring. At the heart of the program is Gustav Holst’s Hammersmith: Prelude and Scherzo, a cornerstone of the wind band repertoire that captures both the quiet dignity and bustling chaos of London’s Hammersmith district. To conclude the program, the ensemble invites the audience to move with Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2, a beloved tribute to Latin American dance rhythms and orchestral flair. 

As part of this special anniversary event, the Mason Bands are excited to welcome the Centreville High School Wind Ensemble, conducted by Melissa Hall (Mason BM ’02, MM ’05), as a featured guest. A proud alumna of George Mason University, Hall brings her award-winning ensemble to share the stage in a celebration of musical excellence and Mason's lasting impact on music education in the region.

From Renaissance devotion to contemporary reflection, Timeless honors the musical legacies of composers whose anniversaries we mark in 2025. Join the University Chamber Singers and the University Chorale as we perform the choral icons of past and present, under the direction of Dr. Lisa Billingham. This program features the Renaissance gems of Palestrina (b. 1525), the luminous spirituality of Arvo Pärt (b.1935), and the heartfelt American storytelling of Kirke Mechem (b.1925). 

The Mason Symphony Orchestra, led by Dr. Soo Han, invites you to their first concert of the 2025-2026 season! This concert will open with the Overture from one of Mozart’s prominent operas: The Marriage of Figaro. We are delighted to feature duo-pianists Dr. Linda Apple Monson and Dr. Anna Balakerskaia, as they perform the whimsical Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns with the Mason Symphony Orchestra. The concert will conclude with the majestic Symphony No. 2 by Jean Sibelius.

This performance will take place in the Concert Hall at the George Mason University’s Center for the Arts on Wednesday, October 15 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available online and at the door. We hope you’ll join us for this exciting performance!

Join us for an evening of favorite opera scenes and ensembles at the CFA On-Stage Café.

This is your chance to spend an evening seated among the performers on the Mainstage of the Center for the Arts. With free admission, on-stage café table seating, and a cash bar, you will want to arrive early to claim your table and settle in to experience the talents of our wonderful students in this unique transformation of our wonderful theater into the CFA On-Stage Café.

We will visit many of your favorite masterpieces such as Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, The Magic Flute, Lakmé, The Marriage of Figaro, and Carmen among others. You won’t want to miss it.

Admission is free; 7:00 p.m. Doors and cash bar open ~ 8:00 p.m Curtain

Join the Mason Jazz Ensemble for an unforgettable evening celebrating the spirit, history, and future of America’s music. This fall, our concert honors United States House Resolution 57, which declared jazz “a rare and valuable national treasure” — a testament to its enduring power to inspire, unite, and tell the American story.

The ensemble’s entire semester has been devoted to exploring what Jelly Roll Morton called “the Latin Tinge” — the vibrant Afro-Latin influences that have shaped jazz from its earliest days to the present. Through this lens, the concert will present an eclectic and exciting program that spans continents and generations, showcasing both the breadth of the tradition and the artistry of our student soloists.

Highlights of the evening include Aaron Copland’s stirring Fanfare for the Common Man reimagined through a jazz ensemble lens; Dizzy Gillespie’s iconic Afro-Cuban masterpiece Manteca; Yoko Kanno’s explosive and genre-blurring Tank! from Cowboy Bebop; and Chucho by Paquito D'Rivera — a joyful preview of Paquito’s upcoming visit.

From swing to bebop, concert music to Latin jazz, this program reflects the living, evolving mosaic of jazz itself — a music that remains, in every sense, a rare and valuable national treasure.

The Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music presents its annual showcase recital featuring its stellar faculty artists in magnificent solo and chamber performances. Performers include Dr. Dennis Edelbrock, Trumpet; Professor Lisa Berger, voice; Dr. Ina Mirtcheva Blevins, piano; Dr. David Porter, tuba; Professor June Huang, violin; Professor Jonathan Bisesi, percussion; and Professor Matthew Trkula, guitar.

Free and open to the public.

Join London’s Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble members Julie Price, Principal Bassoon, and Harvey De Souza, Principal First Violin, for a masterclass. Drawn from the principal players of the legendary orchestra the Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF)—founded by the late English conductor and violinist Sir Neville Marriner with Joshua Bell serving as current music director— the chamber ensemble will also perform a full program at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 3 in the Center for the Arts.

Student composers will begin composing from October 3 to October 4 and performers will premiere the chamber pieces on Sunday evening, October 5 at 6 p.m. Compositions should be inspired by “Music and Dance” theme. Coordinated by Dr. Ina Mirtcheva Blevins, this two-day challenge recital is open to all Mason Music students to compose and perform. 

Recital is Free and open to the public.

Steven Cohen, horn, has been heard internationally as a solo, orchestral, Broadway, and chamber musician. Hailing from New York, he is in demand as a recital soloist and has been a featured and guest artist at numerous horn events throughout the world. Cohen was featured on WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase, presenting an internationally broadcast recital, one of only three featured horn recitals in the program's history. Cohen can be seen with Mannheim Steamroller and is featured with the group on their latest release, "Mannheim Steamroller Live”, and was Principal Horn with The New 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables.

Free and open to the public. 

Directed by Dr. David Porter and Dr. Mark Jenkins

Selections include:
Old Comrades March by Carl Teike, arr. Norlan Bewley
Dark Chocolate Suite by Barbara York - Enjoy chocolate sweets that match the movements!
The Tinker Polka by Ray Dorschner, arr. Norlan Bewley
Haufbrau Haus Medley, arr. Norlan Bewley
Beer Barrel Polka by Jaromir Vejvoda, arr. Skip Gray

Free and open to the public.

This concert includes music for brass choir, brass quintet, low brass quartet, and horn and trombone duet, featuring works by Katahj Copley, Giovanni Gabrieli, David Biedenbender, Cait Nishimura, and Dr. Andrea Reinkemeyer,  Dewberry School of Music Director of Composition. 

Students are undergraduate and graduate brass performance majors studying with Dr. Denny Edelbrock, Dr. Caroline Steiger, Professor Katie Franke, Dr. Mark Jenkins, and Dr. David Porter.

The New Sound Collective performs their Fall concert in collaboration with the Society of Composers, Inc. on Thursday, October 30 at 8 p.m. in deLaski Performing Arts Building Room 3001. The New Sound Collective ensemble specializes in the performance of music by living composers and is directed by Dr. Andrea Reinkemeyer, Director of Composition. This concert is free and open to the public. 

Sarah Clements, Piano, Junior Recital
Monday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Harris Theatre

Paul Bratcher, Jazz Piano, Doctoral Lecture Recital
Sunday, October 5 at 12:00 p.m.
Harris Theatre

Jeremy Fagen, Jazz Saxophone, Junior Recital
Sunday, October 5 at 3:00 p.m.
Harris Theatre

Art Martin, Jazz Saxophone, Senior Recital
Sunday, October 5 at 4:30 p.m.
Harris Theatre

Claudia Gusman, Percussion, Senior Music Education Recital
Sunday, October 12 at 2:00 p.m.
Harris Theatre

Malcolm Taylor, Percussion, Doctoral Recital
Saturday, October 25 at 2:00 p.m.
deLaski 3001

Congratulations to Jenna Hoffman, euphoniumist who has won a job with The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band. She is currently completing her senior year of a bachelor’s degree in music education at George Mason University, where she studies with Dr. Mark Jenkins (professor at GMU and principal of the U.S. Marine Band) and previously with Mr. Phil Franke (former principal of the U.S. Marine Band).

Jenna was the 2024-25 winner of the Mason Wind Symphony Concerto Competition. A proud member of Kappa Kappa Psi - National Honorary Band Fraternity, Jenna looks forward to continuing her studies at Mason while growing as a musician, educator, and performer. Joining the Army Ceremonial Band is also a special family milestone—her father began his career there as a clarinetist!

"For young singers, the path between the first voice lesson and a performing career can be overwhelming. In this step-by-step article, discover tips for taking charge of your learning.

How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?" Well, we all know the answer, of course but contrary to the popular adage, "practice" is only one of the many elements that are needed for an aspiring singer to find success and to realize their dreams. Every singer who has graced the stage of the Met, La Scala, or any other great opera house or concert venue in the world has one thing in common: they each have the experience of having taken their first voice lesson at the beginning of their journey!..."

Professor June Huang, Director of Strings, presented an interactive lecture for "The President’s Own" Professional Military Education. It was titled "Exploring Peace: Conflict Resolution for Musicians." Alyssa Cabassa, one of our Mason Music Ambassadors and BM Music Education/Performance candidate assisted Professor Huang during her presentation.