Dear Mason Music Family,

We invite you to join our Dewberry School of Music students and faculty for concerts, recitals, masterclasses, lecture-recitals, and special events in the upcoming weeks. Please purchase your tickets now for the Jazz Big Band Showdown, Chorale Broadway Showcase, Mason Jazz Vocal Night, Mason Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony, Mason Opera, International Jazz Day, and Mason Symphony Orchestra concert. Additionally, there are many free concerts, recitals, and masterclasses listed throughout this newsletter. 

The Dewberry School of Music, as part of the University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, is announcing free tickets to our performances across Mason Arts venues for federal employees and/or contractors recently separated from positions. The offer extends to spring performances at the Center for the Arts, Harris Theatre, Hylton Performing Arts Center, and on the digital venue Mason Arts Amplified.  

We are proud of the amazing work that is occurring daily in our Dewberry School of Music...in the classrooms, in the practice rooms, on the recital stages, in our research, and in our collaborations with our fellow artists and scholars. We invite you to join us in this remarkable journey of "inspiring artistic and academic excellence—one musician at a time." 

With heartfelt thanks for your support of our Mason Music students,

Dr. Linda A. Monson, Director

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Big Band Showdown Concert

Monday, March 31 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Join the Mason Jazz Ensemble (director Jim Carroll) and special guests, the Blues Alley Jazz Youth Orchestra (director Michael Bowie) and the Liberty University Jazz Ensemble (director Joseph Henson) for an evening that celebrates the hot sounds and swinging beats of the Big Band era!

The Big Band Showdown performance is Monday, March 31 at 8:00 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall.

Tickets:

$15 General Public

$10 Seniors

$5 Students

Mason Jazz Workshop Concert

Changing of the Guard

Wednesday, April 9 at 8:00 p.m.

Harris Theatre

The Jazz Workshop explores the intersection of improvisation and composition in a medium-size jazz ensemble. The group’s name pays tribute to the adventurous ensembles led by jazz greats Charles Mingus and George Russell. Enjoy a night of modern jazz music written for ensemble configurations other than the typical “big band." This program will focus on developments in jazz since the 1960s, such as modality, modern grooves, novel orchestrations, and contemporary harmonies. You will hear compositions by innovative jazz composers Kamasi Washington, Laila Biali, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, and Wayne Shorter in up-to-date arrangements by Bob Mintzer, Dan Pugach, and Will Clements. Come experience a taste of 21st-century jazz by the next generation of jazz musicians in the “Changing of the Guard.” This concert is free and open to the public.

Chorale Broadway Showcase:

A Choral Tribute to Disney Magic

Friday, April 11 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Join the University Chorale for our annual Broadway Showcase under the direction of Dr. Lisa Billingham, Director of Choral Activities. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Disney classics and the vibrant spirit of Broadway. This concert features everything from heartwarming ballads to exhilarating showstoppers from Frozen, The Princess and the Frog, The Greatest Showman, Lion King, Aladdin, and more! 

Experience the magic of timeless Disney melodies, reimagined with the dynamic energy of Broadway, as our University Chorale delivers a performance that promises to entertain audiences of all ages.

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

Mason Jazz Vocal Night

Monday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Join Dr. Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice Studio and the DOWNBEAT award-winning Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble for an evening of swinging standards, Latin American songs and classic hits from the Great American Songbook. Featuring our rhythm section of Paul Bratcher (piano), Nareg Boghosian (guitar), Ponenya Min (bass), Clay Cottis (drums) and Raven Wilson (percussion)! 

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

Mason Symphonic Band Concert

Wednesday, April 16 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Enjoy the Mason Symphonic Band in a celebration of tradition and contemporary works for wind band in this final concert of the ensemble for the semester. Led by graduate conducting student, Mr. Derik Wright, the Mason Symphonic Band is comprised of non-majors from across the university’s disciplines and music majors from the Reva and Sid Dewberry School of Music.

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

Mason Wind Symphony Concert

Niagara Falls: A Journey Through Power,

Reflection and Motion

Thursday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Embark on a musical journey through both natural and emotional forces at Niagara Falls, a program capturing the boundless energy of human expression and the unstoppable power of nature.

The evening begins with "Shoutout" by Roshanne Etezady, an exhilarating fanfare that bursts onto the stage with vibrant energy. Built around a rhythmic motif that mimics the articulation of its title, this piece celebrates motion, community, and momentum, setting an electrifying tone for the concert.

Vittorio Giannini’s Symphony No. 3 follows, a masterwork that bridges neoclassical tradition with the expressive depth of the modern wind ensemble. Rich in sweeping lyricism and intricate motivic development, the symphony moves through moments of elegance, intensity, and brilliance, culminating in a dazzling finale that demands virtuosity from every musician.

John Mackey’s "Some Treasures Are Heavy with Human Tears" shifts the program’s tone to one of deep introspection. Written in response to the 2019 Dayton, Ohio tragedy, this poignant work is not a literal retelling but rather an abstract meditation on grief, loss, and resilience. Through delicate oscillations, haunting melodies, and a powerful emotional climax, Mackey’s music offers a moving reflection on how we process and cope with unimaginable sorrow.

Closing the concert is "Niagara Falls" by Michael Daugherty, a whirlwind of sound inspired by the iconic waterfall’s sheer force and its surrounding tourist spectacle. This cinematic work surges with pulsing rhythms, gothic chromaticism, and blues-infused counterpoint, propelling listeners on a thrilling musical ride that mirrors the power and grandeur of the falls themselves.

Join us for an unforgettable evening as we traverse landscapes of energy, introspection, and unrelenting motion at Niagara Falls—a concert that surges with life.

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

Mason Opera presents "27",

An Opera by Ricky Ian Gordon

Friday, April 25 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 26 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 27 at 3:00 p.m.

Harris Theatre

SAVE THE DATE! Mason Opera presents "27" An Opera by American Composer Ricky Ian Gordon from April 25-27. "American Writer, Gertrude Stein and her wife, Alice B. Toklas weather two wars in their famed Paris at 27 Rue de Fleurus. As the paintings sing, we meet Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and others among the great artists and writers that Stein hosted and mentored." We are thrilled to announce that composer Ricky Ian Gordan will be joining us for the performances! This is a performance you won't want to miss!

Professor Patricia Miller, Producer; Professor Richard Leech, Director;

Dr. Soo Han, Music Director

Tickets: $20 General public, $15 Seniors, and $5 Students

International Jazz Day Concert

Wednesday, April 30 at 8:00 p.m.

Hylton Performing Arts Center

Share the vibrancy and vitality of jazz music with Mason Jazz students and faculty on April 30! George Mason University, Jazz Studies celebrates International Jazz Day with performances by the Mason Jazz Ensemble (Jim Carroll) and The Jazz Workshop (John Kocur).

The Mason Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jim Carroll, offers opportunities for improvisation, performance, recording, writing, leadership and service. This ensemble has performed at venues including the Shanghai Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Center for the Arts, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Jazz4Justice™ concerts, Blues Alley, Chantilly Jazz Festival, Law Day and the Jazz Education Network/ JENerations Jazz Festival (New Orleans, LA and Orlando, FL).

The Jazz Workshop explores the intersection of improvisation and composition in an atypical jazz ensemble. The Jazz Workshop big band, directed by John Kocur, performs music by Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Thad Jones, Benny Carter, Mike Tomaro, Alan Baylock, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Burt Bacharach, Count Basie, Neal Hefti and many others.

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

Mason Symphony Orchestra

Concerto Competition Winners

Monday, May 5 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

The Mason Orchestras are proud to present the final performance of the 24-25 season. The Mason Concert Orchestra will perform a variety of works ranging from a classical era symphony composed by Joseph Bologne to a Swedish contemporary vocal tune learned by rote. The Mason Symphony Orchestra will feature three winners of the 2025 Mason Concerto Competition: Bolun Zhang (piano) will perform the third movement of Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor; Nathan Plapinger (euphonium) will perform the first movement of Cosma's Euphonium Concerto; and Kai Shi (piano) will perform the first movement of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major.

The MSO will conclude the season with the brilliantly entertaining Capriccio Espangol by Rimsky-Korsakov. We're excited to share one more evening celebrating the hard work of our students to conclude the 24-25 academic year!

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

Concerto Competition Winners

Bolun Zhang, pianist, is pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance in the Dewberry School of Music at George Mason University, under the tutelage of Dr. Linda Apple Monson, International Steinway Artist. Bolun serves as a Graduate Assistant in Collaborative Piano at Mason, where he works with many singers and instrumentalists throughout the Dewberry School. He has enjoyed many solo piano performance opportunities at Mason, including the Grand Piano Celebration, Arts by George, Dewberry School of Music Honors Recital, and Friends of Music at Mason Musicales. Bolun is particularly thrilled to perform as soloist with the Mason Symphony Orchestra in Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor. 

Bolun earned his master’s degree in piano performance in the Boyer College of Music at Temple University, Philadelphia. He was invited to participate in an interview on Channel 6 ABC as a graduate student of Dr. Charles Abramovic, Chair of Keyboard Studies at Temple University. A native of Inner Mongolia, Bolun earned his bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Tianjin Conservatory of Music. He won second prize in the Hong Kong International Piano Invitation Competition, second prize in the Macao-Asia Pacific Youth Piano Competition, and second prize in the International Piano/Voice Point Festival Competition in Westminster Choir College in recent years. 

Nathaniel Plapinger, euphoniumist, is pursuing a master's degree in performance at the Dewberry School of Music of George Mason University, where he is a student of Dr. Mark Jenkins, Principal Euphonium of the United States Marine Band. Nate's most recent accomplishments include winning the GMU Orchestra Concerto Competition, semifinalist at the U.S. Marine Band audition, finalist at the U.S. Coast Guard Band audition, and finalist at the U.S. Army Field Band audition.

A native of Portland, Oregon, Nate earned his bachelor’s degree at The University of North Texas, where he studied with Dr. Brian Bowman, former euphonium soloist with the Air Force Band, Navy Band, and Bicentennial Band. His other influential teachers include Fred Sautter, Dr. Patrick Nyren, Thomas Ruedi, and Timothy Heichelheim. In his final year at UNT, he was the youngest semifinalist at the 2016 Army Ceremonial Band audition. Following his graduation from UNT, Nate was a euphoniumist in the U.S. Navy Fleet Bands, where he was stationed in Naples, Italy, and Newport Rhode Island. During his time in the U.S. Navy Fleet Band, he performed in over 15 countries.

Kai Shi, pianist, is a second-year Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Piano Performance at George Mason University, where he is privileged to be taught and mentored by Dr. Linda Apple Monson, Steinway Artist and Director of the Dewberry School of Music. Kai also serves as a Collaborative Piano Graduate Assistant at Mason, working closely with vocalists and instrumentalists in the Dewberry School of Music. Kai holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Shandong Normal University.

During his time at George Mason University, he has performed at prestigious venues and events such as the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the Chinese Embassy Spring Festival Gala, the Grand Piano Celebration in Mason's Center for the Arts, 2024 Dewberry School of Music Honors Recital, Arts by George, and musicales for the Friends of Music at Mason. He has also participated in master classes with Christopher O’Riley, Jeffrey Siegel, Brian Ganz, and Jeremy Denk while at Mason. He is particularly thankful to have the opportunity to perform Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major with the Mason Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Soo Han. 

Kai’s dedication and talent have earned him numerous honors and awards, including recognition in the Shandong Province Piano Competition, the Qilu Instruments Competition, and the Prime Golden Bell Awards in Shandong Province. His piano performances have taken him to multiple cities in Asia and throughout the United States, showcasing his solo piano and collaborative piano artistry to diverse audiences.

Mason Choirs

Voices United: A Celebration of Global Harmony

Sunday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m.

Music Center at Strathmore

Experience an extraordinary evening of music at the Music Center at Strathmore. The performance celebrates youth voices and the power of global harmony. This concert will feature the Strathmore Children's Chorus, the University Chorale and University Singers of George Mason University and Washington Adventist University, and the New England Youth Symphony. Together, they will present John Rutter's deeply moving Mass of the Children, a piece that blends the innocence of children's voices with the rich tones of adult singers conducted by Dr. Lisa Billingham, Director of Choral Activities at Geoge Mason University.

Derick Etale, the founder and director of the Angaza Choir, who perform literature from various African countries will lead performances of vibrant African choral music with the University Singers of George Mason University and Strathmore Children's Chorus. This blend of classical and traditional sounds promises to be a joyous and uplifting experience. 

This performance will be at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, Maryland, 20852. Tickets are $25 for general public.

Brass and Wind Chamber Concert

Thursday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m.

deLaski 3001 PAB

Unwind with an evening of brass and winds chamber groups featuring Mason Music students. This performance is coordinated by Dr. Caroline Steiger, Director of Brass and Dr. Kathleen Gardiner Mulcahy, Director of Woodwinds.

This concert is on Thursday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m. in deLaski Performing Arts Building Room 3001 and is free and open to the public. MUSI 300 credit offered.

New Sound Collective Concert

Thursday, April 10 at 8:00 p.m.

deLaski 3001PAB

The New Sound Collective will present premiere performances of solo through full ensemble works by student composers. Dr. Jennifer Jolley's Flexible Ensemble Piece "Ash" will be conducted by Derik Wright, MM Conducting (2025).

The 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. MUSI 300 credit offered.

Mason Jazz Combos

Tuesday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m.

Center for the Arts Concert Hall

Combo Italia/Combo 336 (directed by Dr. Shawn Purcell, Professor of Jazz Guitar) and the Braddock Road Brass Band (directed by Graham Breedlove, Professor of Jazz Trumpet) perform their spring 2025 concert on

Tuesday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall.

This performance features three Mason Jazz Ensembles with instrumental and vocal Mason Music students and is free and

open to the public.

MUSI 300 Credit offered.

Dewberry School of Music

Spring 2025 Concert Series

Masterclasses, Workshops, and Presentations

Arcotype Bows Guest Presentation

Monday, March 31 at 12:30 p.m.

Choral Room

You’re invited to a pre-launch demonstration by Andrew Janss of the Arcotype self-rehairable bow - the first bow of its kind to allow performers, teachers and students to take control of the rehair process! Arcotype bows are convenient, accessible, high-quality, and sustainable!

Free and Open to the Public. MUSI 300 credit offered.

African Choral Music Workshop

Friday, April 4 at 12:30 p.m.

deLaski 3001

Join us for an African Choral Workshop regarding appropriate style and movement and with University Singers and Derick Etale on Friday, April 4 at 12:30 p.m. in deLaski 3001.

Etale is a choral conductor and educator from Luanda, Western Kenya, currently based in Waco, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as a Master's degree in Church Music and Choral Conducting from Baylor University. While at Baylor, he performed with and conducted the Baylor Concert Choir and Baylor Men’s Choir, in addition to serving as a section leader and choreographer. Derick is the founder and director of Angaza Choir, a community choir in Waco, TX that focuses on music from various African countries. He also serves as the music minister at Central Presbyterian Church in Woodway, TX. Free and Open to the Public. MUSI 300 credit offered.

Ricky Ian Gordon, Composer

Artist in Residence

April 14 - April 18

Celebrated American composer, Ricky Ian Gordon will offer masterclasses, coachings, and public presentations in his week-long residency with George Mason University. He will also speak at each of Mason Opera’s performances of his fun and powerful opera about Gertrude Stein's famed Paris salon at 27 Rue de Fleurus.

Meet the Artist & his Music – Ricky Ian Gordon

Monday, April 14

12:30 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.

Harris Theatre, Fairfax Campus

Masterclass with Ricky Ian Gordon

Wednesday, April 16

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Monson Grand Tier III

Center for the Arts, Fairfax Campus

Departmental Recitals and Events

Student Kudos

George Mason Vocal Studies Student NATS Winners

Huge congratulations to our George Mason University Vocal Studies Area students who were chosen as Winners at the 2025 Viriginia State NATS Vocal Competition!  Congratulations also to their applied voice teachers: Prof. Miller, Dr. Yang, Prof. Leech, and Prof. Casey Cabot!  Kudos to our Mason Vocal Studies Area for the incredible number of National Association of Teachers of Singing winners.

George Benskin V's Compositions Premiered at National Institute of Health

Kudos to Mason Music Student George Benskin V on the premiere performance of his monumental work, Twelve Sonorous Etudes at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD. George is a pianist and composition student of Dr. Andrea Reinkemeyer, Director of Composition, and is passionate about vocal works, dramaturgical music, and musical underscoring as an elevation of other art forms such as cinema or video games. The New Sound Collective will be performing several movements of his work on April 10 and May 1.

Alumni Kudos

Lisa Robinson's Composition premiered at

Women in Music Festival

Congratulations to Alumna Lisa Robinson, MM Composition (2022) on Pulled by the Ebb and Flow of the Current; a Fleeting Mood for Flute & Piano, her piece for flute and piano that premiered on March 8 at the Women in Music Festival in Columbus, Mississippi. Robinson's musical output includes large works, piano sonatas, chamber music, and developmental music for piano inspired by her decades as a successful piano teacher. Among her accomplishments her compositions have been nominated for a WAMMIE, performed by the NOVA Symphony Orchestra, and recorded by the New Sound Collective, George Mason's Experimental Ensemble.

Welcome Rahmah (Ree) Elmassry

New Operations Coordinator

Rahmah (Ree) Elmassry is the newly appointed Operations Coordinator in the Dewberry School of Music of George Mason University. Ree earned a graduate degree in Arts Management from George Mason University and has worked as the Lead Hospitality Assistant in Mason's Center for the Arts. Ree is passionate about fostering engaging and inclusive artistic spaces. In her free time, she runs K-Fantasia, a project dedicated to building a vibrant K-pop creative commons in the DMV area where fans can find a home to connect, celebrate and share their love for K-pop with others.