Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and be grateful for all the people who enrich our lives. Thank you for your dedication to our Dewberry School of Music students and for all you do for George Mason University. May the love and comfort of family and friends be yours in abundance this Thanksgiving season and may the beautiful gift of music continue to uplift, inspire, and sustain you.  

With my warmest wishes for a healthy and safe Thanksgiving season,

Dr. Linda A. Monson, Director

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Mason Wind Symphony presents "Tarot"

Tuesday, December 3 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts

Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., conductor

Dr. Caroline Steiger, horn

Derik J. Wright, graduate conductor

Join the Mason Wind Symphony for "Tarot," a concert inspired by mysticism, light, and timeless traditions. This program showcases David Biedenbender's radiant Luminescence, Percy Grainger's beloved Colonial Song, and Sure Fire, a dynamic horn concerto by Catherine Likhuta featuring soloist Dr. Caroline Steiger, George Mason University's Director of Brass. Lindsay Bronnenkant's Tarot adds an evocative exploration of tarot's symbolic depth, leading into the evening's powerful closer, Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music. Come experience an unforgettable night of music that celebrates both introspection and symphonic grandeur!

$15 General Public, $10 Seniors, $5 Students

Mason Symphonic Band presents "Mouvement"

Wednesday, December 4 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts

Join us for an extraordinary evening of music that promises to captivate and inspire! The program includes the energetic Mouvement Frénétique (2020), a rhythmic tribute to artistic discovery, and Mock Morris (1911), a buoyant homage to English folk dance traditions. Experience the meditative beauty of In the Stillness (2017), where Japanese philosophy meets lyrical soundscapes, and soar through the sky with Freefall (2024), a thrilling, musical adventure capturing the essence of skydiving. Rounding out the program is Leonard Bernstein's electrifying Mambo from West Side Story, bringing Latin flair and irresistible energy to the concert stage.

Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., conductor

Derik J. Wright, graduate conductor

FREE ADMISSION

New Sound Collective

Thursday, December 5 at 8:00 p.m.

deLaski 3001

New Sound Collective presents Harmonious Intelligence, their final semester performance featuring contemporary chamber works by professional and student composers. This concert features junior recital premiere performances.

New Sound Collective is an ensemble that specializes in the performance of music by living composers and led by Dr. Andrea Reinkemeyer, Director of Composition. This free performance will be held in deLaski 3001.

George Mason Fall Opera:

Love, Betrayal, and Forgiveness

Scenes from Mozart's Most Popular Operas:

Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, & Così fan tutte

Saturday, December 7 at 2:00 & 8:00 p.m.

Hylton Performing Arts Center

George Mason Opera presents Love, Betrayal, and Forgiveness - Scenes from Mozart's Most Popular Operas: Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, & Così fan tutte. Talented vocal students showcase their great vocal skill and dramatic ability to deeply immerse the audience in the action of the scene. 

Mason Opera will perform in the beautiful Hylton Performing Arts Center in Gregory Family Theater on Saturday, December 7 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $20 General Public, $15 Seniors, $5 Students

Electronic Composition Music Concert

Saturday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m.

deLaski 3001

Join the students from the MUSI 354 course, Electronic Composition, for a concert of original electronic works. Students utilize the techniques they have learned during the semester to produce these exciting new pieces. From magnetic tape techniques to synthesizers, samplers and Digital Audio Workstation software programs, this concert will provide a wide-ranging electronic music experience. This concert is free and coordinated by Dr. Robert Gillam, Director of Music Technology.

Mason Symphony Orchestra & Choirs

Winter Festival

Sunday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts

The Mason Orchestras & Choirs proudly invite you to join them for their final performance of the fall semester: A Winter Festival, conducted by Dr. Soo Han, Thomas Colohan, and Michael Stern. Performing sounds of the season, this concert will feature the Mason Concert Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, University Chorale, and University Singers, with the symphony and choirs joining forces to conclude with Schubert's Magnificat, and Irving Berlin's timeless classic, White Christmas. We hope you can join us for this joyful evening!

Tickets: $20 General Public, $15 Seniors, $5 Students

Departmental Recitals and Events

Student Kudos

Congratulations to Calvin Evans (Doctor of Musical Arts candidate) for being selected as the first prize winner of the George Mason University Graduate Division's Three Minute Thesis poster competition for his research on Quincy Jones.

Calvin's final presentation will be aired on GMU-TV; he will be featured in The George, and he has been invited to present his exceptional research at the Southern Council of Graduate Schools Conference. 

Performance Highlights

George Mason's Brass Day, coordinated by Dr. Caroline Steiger, Director of Brass, was held on Saturday, November 9 with over 100 participants!