Dear Mason Music Family,

How thrilled we are to present our amazing students and faculty of our Dewberry School of Music in upcoming concerts. We hope you will join us for our Woodwind Chamber Ensemble concert this Wednesday (October 25) at 8 pm. We are honored to have Christian McBride, bassist, join us in a live workshop this Friday (October 27) at 3 pm and we are eagerly anticipating the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra Concert this Saturday night (October 28) at 8 pm.  Please purchase your Met Jazz tickets now for a phenomenal concert!  

We are very excited for our Faculty Artist Showcase Recital in a free concert this Sunday, October 29 at 3 pm in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall featuring stellar vocal, strings, brass, and piano artists from the Dewberry School of Music. We continue with fabulous concerts next week with the Mason Jazz Workshop on Wednesday November 1 and a piano master class with guest artist Christopher O'Riley, pianist on Friday, November 3 in Harris Theater. 

How thrilled we are for our upcoming Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble concert on Monday, November 6 with VMEA (Virginia Music Educators Conference) and JEN (Jazz Educators Network) preview performances! We look forward to our Mason Percussion Ensemble performance on Wednesday, November 8 and the Mason Jazz Ensemble concert on Thursday, November 9. 

The Dewberry School of Music is pleased to offer String Day on Saturday, October 28, 1-4 p.m. In addition, we are happy to present Departmental Recitals and Student Recitals in the upcoming weeks. We appreciate your attendance and support of our talented Mason music student recitals and events. I want to give a special shout-out to our Friends of Music at Mason for the incredible ways you continue to support our students and faculty of the Dewberry School of Music.  

We look forward to greeting you on our beautiful Mason Fairfax campus as we share the joy of music!

Warmest regards,

Dr. Linda A. Monson, Director

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Woodwind Chamber Concert

Wednesday, October 25 | 8 p.m.

deLaski 3001

Performing groups will include two woodwind trios, an oboe quartet, clarinet, bassoon and piano trio, and various saxophone ensembles. Composers include Mozart, Glinka, Maslanka, Galante, and others. 

Christian McBride Live Workshop/Q&A

October 27 at 3 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Come join us for a live workshop with eight-time GRAMMY Award-winning bassist Christian McBride and the Mason Jazz Ensemble! This exciting event offers guests a behind-the-scenes experience as McBride connects with and coaches Mason students, followed by a live Q&A session with him. This is an excellent opportunity to engage with the artist before his performance with the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra on October 28 at the Center for the Arts. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra Concert

Saturday, October 28 | 8 p.m.

Concert Hall

Great Performances at Mason

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra with Christian McBride

Featuring: Jim Carroll, artistic director and Christian McBride, bass.

Special Guest Artist: Darden Purcell, voice.

Faculty Artist Showcase Recital

Sunday, October 29 | 3 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Free Admission

The Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music presents its annual Faculty Artist Showcase Recital featuring extraordinary performing artists, including vocal, strings, brass, and piano artists. FREE ADMISSION!

Mason Jazz Workshop Concert

Wednesday, November 1 | 8 p.m.

Harris Theatre

The Jazz Workshop explores the intersection of improvisation and composition in the tradition of the great dance and studio jazz bands. Enjoy rare and beautiful arrangements by jazz legends from many eras of jazz history. New original compositions by Mason students and faculty will be featured as well. 

Free Admission!

Piano Masterclass: Christopher O'Riley

Friday, November 3 | 12:30-2:30 pm

Harris Theatre

Free Admission and open to the public!

Mason Jazz Vocal Night

November 6 | 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts, Concert Hall

Join Dr. Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice Studio and Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook. Special guest high school choir to be announced at a later date. 

$12 General Public, $8 Seniors, $5 Students

Percussion Ensemble Concert

November 8 | 8:00 p.m.

deLaski 3001

Free Admission

The Mason Percussion Ensemble, directed by Dr. Kanako Chikami and Professor John Spirtas, will present a diverse array of composers: John Cage, Steve Reich, Mauricio Kagel, Viet Cuong, JLin and Akira Nishimura.

Mason Jazz Ensemble Concert

November 9 | 8:00 p.m.

Harris Theatre

The Mason Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jim Carroll, performs its Fall 2023 concert.

This concert features selections from the rich tradition of jazz improvisation and composition.

$12 General Public, $8 Seniors, $5 Students

Our student recitals are available for you to view in person and also via live stream.

https://music.calendar.gmu.edu/performances/student-degree-recitals/

The Dewberry School of Music is pleased to offer String Day on Saturday, October 28, 1-4 p.m. This event is open to string players, aged 12 and older. Bring your instrument and work with Mason faculty in instrument-specific classes. All activities will take place in the deLaski Performing Arts Building on the Fairfax campus. Mason Strings faculty include June Huang, violin, Nana Vaughn, viola, Gerald Fowkes, cello, Jessica Powell Eig, double bass and Soo Han, ensembles.

The Eugene Symphony (Oregon), conducted by Francesco Lecce-Chong, will perform and record Water Sings Fire for Orchestra by Mason's Director of Composition, Dr. Andrea Reinkemeyer. The orchestra previously performed the work in October 2021. 

Water Sings Fire was commissioned by the League of American Orchestras and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Carlos Miguel Prieto conducted the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for the premiere performances at the Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 2019.

To learn more about the work, see Dr. Reinkemeyer's website: https://www.andreareinkemeyer.com/works/water-sings-fire

Rita Gigliotti (PhD candidate in Music Education), Dr. Tina Beveridge

(Assistant Professor of Music Education), and MeHaley Babich (PhD candidate in Music Education) presented their research at the Society for Music Teacher Education Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 12-14, 2023.