Music

Mason Arts at Home
Let’s Talk Opera with John Borths
Virtual Event
Join the Center for the Arts and Virginia Opera on Monday, January 10 at 7:00 p.m., for a special Mason Arts at Home presentation of Let's Talk Opera with Josh Borths.
This episode examines the upcoming production of Three Decembers and include an intriguing conversation with the sho... Read more

CANCELED: 43rd International Saxophone Symposium
Saturday, Jan 15, 2022 8:00am
Out of concern for the health and safety of our audience members and participants, the 2022 International Saxophone Symposium has been canceled.
The 43rd International Saxophone Symposium, hosted by the U.S. Navy Band, features over 150 performances, masterclasses and lectures designed for musicians... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Fantastic Fantasies
Take an extraordinary journey through classical music with this Keyboard Conversations® performance. Virtuoso pianist Jeffrey Siegel will guide you through the improvisatory, unbound music of Mozart, Mendelssohn’s “Last Rose of Summer”, and Swedish composer Stenhammar’s rhapso... Read more
Vasily Petrenko, music director
Kian Soltani, cello
Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances
Celebrate the diamond jubilee anniversary of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) with a program featuring ... Read more
CANCELED: International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella - Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinal
This performance has been canceled. Ticket holders will be contacted by the Center for the Arts ticket office.
... Read more

Mason School of Theater
RESCHEDULED: In a Sentimental Mood: The Music of Duke Ellington Performed by The Mason Cabaret
Saturday, Feb 05, 2022 2:00pm
Saturday, Feb 05, 2022 8:00pm
This performance by The Mason Cabaret has been rescheduled to April 15-16 (with a free preview on April 14) in deLaski Performing Arts Building on the Fairfax campus. The Ticket Office will contact all ticket holders via email with their options. Please contact the Ticket Office at cfatix@gmu.edu or... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Virginia Opera: Three Decembers
Sunday, Feb 06, 2022 2:00pm
by Jake Heggie with libretto by Gene Scheer
Virginia Opera’s production of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Three Decembers is a two-act chamber opera about family—the ones we are born into, and those we create. Based on Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally’s unpublishe... Read more
This performance by Kristin Chenoweth has been rescheduled to September 24, 2022 at 8:30 p.m. The Ticket Office will contact all ticket holders by email with their options. Please contact the Ticket Office at cfatix@gmu.edu or 703-993-2787 if you haven't heard from them by January 20.
Tickets for S... Read more
Program*
Christopher Rouse: “Ku-Ka-Ilimoku”
Dvorák: Serenade for Wind Instruments
Adolphus Hailstork: Essay for Strings
Arvo Pärt: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Elgar: Introduction and Allegro for Strings
The program opens with a bang with more than 40 percussion instruments on stage... Read more

Dewberry School of Music
Mason Jazz Festival
The Mason Jazz Festival is an invitational event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community Jazz ensembles. Learn more about participating.
The closing festival performance ensemble will be the United States Army Blues Jazz Ensemble at 7 p.m. in Harris Theatre. Learn more about th... Read more
The U.S. Army Blues performs the closing concert of the the 2022 Mason Jazz Festival! The U.S. Army Blues, part of the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” is the premier jazz ensemble of the U.S. Army. After informal beginnings in 1970, this 18-piece ensemble became an official element of the ... Read more
Sharing a heartfelt message of love, peace, and harmony, Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs an uplifting concert showcasing traditional South African vocal styles. Already successful in their own right in South Africa, the group rose to worldwide prominence in 1986 when they col... Read more
Come watch the Wind Symphony and the Symphonic Band present their winter concert, conducted by Professor Mark Camphouse and doctoral student Samantha Clarke.
The George Mason University Wind Symphony, led by composer-conductor Mark Camphouse is a select ensemble comprised of outstanding... Read more
Under the direction of Dr. Lisa Billingham, the University Singers is a select choral ensemble at Mason dedicated to the performance of advanced vocal chamber music ranging from Renaissance to contemporary and commissioned works.
Tickets: $12 General Public, $... Read more
Sofya Gulyak, piano
Brahms: Symphony No. 3
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Russian classical pianist, Sofya Gulyak has been praised for her "tremendous precision and colouration ... exquisite soft playing ... with delicacy." Performing around the globe to great acclaim, she joins the F... Read more

Mason Arts at Home
Mason Arts at Home: Let’s Talk Opera with Josh Borths
Join the Center for the Arts and Virginia Opera on Monday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m., for a special Mason Arts at Home presentation of Let's Talk Opera with Josh Borths, Preview Lecturer & Educator of Des Moines Metro Opera and Founder of OperaClassroom.com. This episode will examine the upcoming produc... Read more
The Chieftains Irish Goodbye Tour has been canceled, including this performance at the Center for the Arts.
... Read moreFive-time GRAMMY Award-winning bassist and composer Edgar Meyer joins the acclaimed Glasgow-based Scottish Ensemble for a unique program that spans the ages from the Baroque to the present day. The concert features works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Wi... Read more
Join the Mason Jazz Ensemble (director Jim Carroll), the Jazz Workshop (director, John Kocur) and special guests, the Loudon Jazz Ensemble (director John Lewis) for an evening that celebrates the hot sounds and swinging beats of the Big Band era!
Photo of the Mason Jazz Ensemble by Joyce... Read more

College of Visual and Performing Arts
Media, Arts, Design, and Communication Internship and Career Fair
Location: Center for the Arts, Main Lobby, Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts, Grand Tier II, Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts, Monson Grand Tier III, Fairfax Campus
Meet recruiters from more than 25 arts, design, entertainment, and media employers seeking Mason students and alumni for ... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Evocative Visions
Pianist Jeffrey Siegel is popular with classical music lovers and newcomers alike. In his final Keyboard Conversations® concert of the season, he plays the visually inspired masterpieces of Debussy, plus Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Grieg. Included on the program is Debussy’s The ... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Virginia Opera: The Marriage of Figaro
Sunday, Apr 10, 2022 2:00pm
Mozart’s beloved four-act comic opera, The Marriage of Figaro, is the kind of mad and frantic bedroom farce of which guilty (and not-so-guilty) pleasures are made. It is all driven by the music of Mozart at his most spirited and conceived in collaboration with his most entrust... Read more

Mason School of Theater
In a Sentimental Mood: The Music of Duke Ellington Performed by The Mason Cabaret
Saturday, Apr 16, 2022 2:00pm
Saturday, Apr 16, 2022 8:00pm
Conceived by Erin Gardiner and James Gardiner
Directed by Erin Gardiner and James Gardiner
Musical Direction by Joe Walsh
A perennial favorite, our musical theater ambassadors, The Mason Cabaret, return with a fresh lineup of stellar vocalists showcasing the brilliant work of the legend... Read more
Mason Artist-in-Residence
Featuring Maria Schneider, conductor
GRAMMY Award-winning composer, conductor, and Mason Artist-in-Residence Maria Schneider conducts Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra in a night of cool, expressive jazz. The evening’s repertory inclu... Read more

Dewberry School of Music
Symphonic Band Concert, featuring Samantha Clarke, Doctoral Conducting Recital*
Come watch the Mason Symphonic Band present its spring concert, conducted by doctoral student Samantha Clarke, in her final conducting recital. This concert will include works by Ticheli, Arnold, Parker and more.
The Mason Symphonic Band, directed by Mark Camphouse, provides music major... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra with Simone Dinnerstein
Christopher Zimmerman, music director and conductor
Featuring Simone Dinnerstein, piano
Simone Dinnerstein was originally scheduled to perform Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5. Due to a strained finger injury, she has adjusted her repertoire over the next few months to allow i... Read more
Lila Downs is one of the most influential artists in Latin America. Whether it’s a full-throated mariachi song, an achingly tender bolero, or sultry jazz tune, this GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter draws audiences in with her unmistakable charisma and inspiring storytell... Read more
This Mason Vocal Jazz Night performance (scheduled for tonight) has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances.
The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble repertoire will now be included in the International Jazz Day Concert on Saturday April 30 at 8:00 pm in the Center for the Arts. Ticket holders for tonig... Read more
Come watch the Mason Wind Symphony present its spring concert, conducted by Professor Mark Camphouse. This performance will includes premieres of wind band works, including a Virginia premiere by Mason’s own Mark Camphouse.
The George Mason University Wind Symphony is a select ensemble ... Read more

Dewberry School of Music
Mason Opera presents Rossini’s 'La Cenerentola'*
Saturday, Apr 30, 2022 2:00pm
Sunday, May 01, 2022 2:00pm
This spring, Mason Opera is delighted to bring Giacomo Rossini’s La Cenerentola to vibrant and sparkling life! Composed in 1817, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo (Cinderella orGoodness Triumphant), is a charming, operatic dramma giocoso in two acts, which premiered at ... Read more
Share the vibrancy and vitality of jazz music with Mason Jazz students and faculty on April 30! International Jazz Day brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts on all continents to celebrate and learn about jazz and its roots, future, and... Read more

Mason School of Theater
A Concert Presentation of 'The Boy Detective Fails'
Saturday, May 07, 2022 2:00pm
Saturday, May 07, 2022 8:00pm
Directed by Erin Gardiner
Musical Direction by Joe Walsh
Book by Joe Meno
Music and Lyrics by Adam Gwon
The Boy Detective Fails, based on Joe Meno’s acclaimed novel, tells the story of Billy Argo, “boy detective.” In a world akin to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, young Billy becomes famou... Read more
Join the Dewberry School of Music for their spring finale concert featuring the Mason Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Soo Han and the University choirs under the direction of Dr. Lisa Billingham.
Proof of vaccination or a negative test result and face coverings will still b... Read more
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Christopher Zimmerman, conductor
with
Fairfax Choral Society
Thomas Colohan, artistic director
Morgan State University Choir
Eric Conway, Director
Leshnoff: Symphony No. 4 “Heichalos” (Regional Premiere)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Face coverings are required for this performance. See updated ... Read more

Dewberry School of Music
Dewberry School of Music Student Honors Recital*
The Honors Recital is a premier recital opportunity for Dewberry School of Music students, representing each instrument area, who auditioned and were selected to perform by a faculty panel.
Proof of vaccination or a negative test result and face coverings will still be required for this per... Read more
Shabnam & Qais KULAB to KABUL USA Tour 2022
TUTI presents Shabnam Surayo & Qais Ulfat
Kulab to Kabul USA Concert Tour 2022
Ticket Office and Concert Hall open at 6 p.m.
... Read moreThe Fairfax Wind Symphony and the George Mason University Dewberry School of Music are proud to present the 3rd Annual National Community Band Festival. Six of the area’s finest community bands will present concerts over the two-day festival in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall.
Satur... Read more
Washington Concert Society presents: Night of Korean Art Songs - “My Heart”
Jazz is America's music, and the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, the Navy's premier jazz ensemble, have been performing the very best of big band jazz for the Navy and the nation for 50 years. Formed in 1969, this 18-member group continues the jazz big band legacy with some of the finest musicians in the... Read more
Led by Louisiana native, Graham Breedlove, the Graham Breedlove Group blends an exciting mix of traditional New Orleans and Louisiana music rhythmic influences with the harmonic and melodic innovations of modern jazz, playing a mix of original compositions and unique arrangements of Jazz standards! ... Read more
The Mason Jazz Camp welcomes trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and educator Sean Jones as their special guest!
After a six-month stint with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis offered him a permanent position as lead trumpeter of the ensemble, a post he held from 2004 until 2010. Mr... Read more
The Mason Jazz Camp faculty perform. Featuring Darden Purcell (voice), Victor Provost (steel pan), Aaron Eckert (trombone), Regan Brough (bass), John Kocur (saxophone), Kevin McDonald (drums), Graham Breedlove (trumpet), and Shawn Purcell (guitar).
This concert is sure to have a little something for... Read more
The Mason Jazz Camp concludes with performances by student ensembles, showcasing their hard work throughout the week!
Visit Mason Jazz Camp for the weekly concert schedule and camp details.
FREE and open to the public (no camp registration required)
... Read more
Great Performances at Mason
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: American Pianistic Treasures
Welcome back Jeffrey Siegel, a masterful “pianist who literally overflows with music” (Berlin Die Welt) to our stage for his popular series that tells the stories behind the music. In this “concert with commentary,” Siegel introduces the signature sounds of American piano music with belove... Read more
For the Girls
Is there anything Kristin Chenoweth can’t do? The Emmy® and Tony Award-winning performer dazzles audiences in every role she tackles on stage and screen. Join her as she takes centerstage as headliner of the 2022 ARTS by George! benefit. In this much-anticipated concert of ... Read more
Havana Cuba All-Stars has canceled its Fall 2022 tour, including this performance at the Center for the Arts. The Ticket Office will contact all ticket holders by email with their options. Please contact the Ticket Office at cfatix@gmu.edu or 703-993-2787 if you haven't heard from them by Friday, Ju... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Virginia Opera: The Valkyrie
Sunday, Oct 09, 2022 2:00pm
Composed by Richard Wagner
Adaptation by Jonathan Dove and Graham Vick
Orchestrated by Jonathan Dove
Mortals are caught up amidst struggles between capricious gods in Richard Wagner’s iconic dramatic opera The Valkyrie, from his legendary “Ring” cycle. Virginia Opera boldly opens its 2022-20... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Virginia Opera: The Pirates of Penzance
Sunday, Nov 13, 2022 2:00pm
Composed by Gilbert & Sullivan
Set sail with this classic comic operetta fit for all ages. Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance has everything—whimsical melodies, hilariously memorable characters, and one of the most terrific earworms of all time, “I Am the Very Model of a Modern... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Immortal Impromptus
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel is for both music aficionados and those that aspire to be so. He will draw you into the composers’ lives by sharing fascinating details about their creative processes. As a result, you will leave the concert with a deeper appreciation of the musi... Read more
Celebrate the holidays with a concert that fills the Center with all of the spirit and power of five grand pianos played together on one stage. The 5 Browns, a quintet of incredibly talented pianists and siblings—Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra, and Desirae—all simultaneously attended The J... Read more
Individual event tickets go on sale August 1.
Already subscribed? Please call the Subscriber Hotline to add this performance, (voice) 703-993-2787.
Join us for a joyous concert celebration by the Dewberry School of Music as we ring in the holiday season! Showcasing Mason Symphony Orchestra and Choi... Read more
This Christmas, bring the whole family back to a simpler time with NUTCRACKER! Magic of Christmas Ballet! The acclaimed holiday tradition is LIVE in theaters for the 30th Anniversary tour. Gather friends and family to re-live your fondest childhood dreams, overflowing with larger-than-li... Read more
Christmas in Vienna
The holiday season isn’t complete without the return of the Vienna Boys Choir melting hearts with their heavenly voices. Admired across the globe for their pure sound and technical mastery, the cherubic ensemble features boy sopranos and altos from eight to 14, represen... Read more
Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season
Peter Wilson, conductor
Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too. Come out to the Center for the Arts for timeless holiday favorites with the American Festival Pops Orchestra. This beloved tradition starts the season off on a festive ... Read more
Mason Artist-in-Residence
Uplifted Voices
The GRAMMY Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble, founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, debuts their newest program Uplifted Voices at the Center, as part of their multi-year participation as a Mason Artist-in-Residence. Championing women and non-binary members of... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Virginia Opera: Fellow Travelers
Sunday, Feb 05, 2023 2:00pm
Composed by Gregory Spears
Libretto by Greg Pierce
In a commitment to share contemporary opera experiences with its audiences, Virginia Opera presents Fellow Travelers by New York-based composer Gregory Spears and librettist Greg Pierce. Set at the dawn of the Cold War, Fellow Travelers fol... Read more
Robert McDuffie, violin
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Known for exuberant performances, the acclaimed Munich Symphony Orchestra (MSO) returns to the Center with an uplifting program of masterworks! The MSO embraces the sheer joy and ... Read more
The Corner of Broadway and Main Street
Calling all Disney and Broadway fans! A cappella superstars, Voctave, will transform the Center for the Arts into The Corner of Broadway and Main Street in an “aca-awesome” treat for all ages. Featuring swoon-worthy arrangements from some of your favo... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Musical Valentines
Go beyond chocolates and flowers when you take your sweetheart to experience an evening of Musical Valentines. In this stirring Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel, be swept away with music of infinite passion, poetry, and longing by Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, and Chopin, and learn how the com... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Virginia Opera: La Traviata
Sunday, Mar 12, 2023 2:00pm
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Featuring one of the most demanding, sumptuous, and recognizable scores of all time, Virginia Opera concludes its season with Giuseppe Verdi’s tours de force La Traviata. Set amidst the pleasure-loving and decadent French aristocracy of the 19th century, Verdi’s ... Read more
One Earth Tour 2023: Tsuzumi
Experience the power, grace, and joy that KODO’s athletic percussionists bring to the stage in their much-anticipated 40th anniversary performance: Tsuzumi. As masters of the ancient art of Japanese taiko drumming, KODO bewitches audiences with visually-stunnin... Read more
America
Violin luminary Daniel Hope returns with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra to reveal the charisma of American music in a program named after his new album, America. This concert celebrates our country’s most recognizable tunes from across the 20th Century, including Copland’s iconic “Ho... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra with Bobby Floyd
Jim Carroll, conductor
Bobby Floyd, organ
Calling all cool cats to head to the Center for the Arts for a swinging evening of jazz with Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, featuring keyboardist/organist Bobby Floyd on the Hammond organ and led by Founder, Artistic Director,... Read more

Great Performances at Mason
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel: Mozart and Friends
Jeffrey Siegel closes out the Keyboard Conversations® season with a program that celebrates the power and inspiration of friendship. Join him for Mozart and Friends, and hear masterpieces of Mozart, magnificent music by composers who influenced him such as Joseph Haydn, and by those he inf... Read more
George Li, piano
Christopher Zimmerman, music director and conductor
Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance, March No. 1
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2
Elgar: Symphony No. 1
The Center for the Arts is proud to co-present a soaring classical music program by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, featuring... Read more