Dear Mason School of Music Family,

Please join us for an incredible Fall 2018 series of events. Tonight we have Mason School of Music students and faculty performing simultaneously in multiple venues! Dr. Dennis Layendecker directs our Mason Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, Prof. Jim Carroll and the Met Jazz Orchestra are performing at the Hylton Center, and Doc Nix and the Green Machine are performing at the Eagle Bank Arena as part of Mason Madness!

We are excited to welcome back our Mason alumni this weekend!  We hope to see our many Mason Music alumni at our Faculty Artist Showcase Recital this Sunday, October 14th, 3 pm, in Harris Theater, featuring many of our outstanding Mason Music faculty.  A special reception in the Harris Theater lobby follows the concert.  

We are very happy to welcome several new adjunct faculty colleagues to our School of Music, including Dorotea Rácz , cello; Gerald Fowkes , cello; Christopher Jewell , bassoon; and Kerry Wilkerson , voice.  In addition, I am thrilled to announce our new Assistant to the Director and Marketing Coordinator, Brianna Schoen .  

We are proud of our innovative curriculum and want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Glenn Smith for the Music and Well-Being programs that he developed.  Please read a recent article about our Music and Well-Being programs here.

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Mason School of Music events as we share a beautiful fall season of music-making experiences!   

Warm regards,
Dr. Linda A. Monson
Director, School of Music
Announcements
Recent Faculty Hires

We are pleased to welcome three new additions to our School of Music faculty.
Dorotea Rácz, Adjunct Applied Faculty, Cello

Dr. Dorotea Rácz is a widely renowned performer and educator, concertizing throughout Europe, the United States, and both Central and South America. She received her BM and MM in cello performance at the Peabody Institute, and her DMA in cello performance from Catholic University. Read more about Dr. Rácz here .
Gerald Fowkes, Adjunct Applied Faculty, Cello & Class Strings

Professor Gerald Fowkes is an active performer and educator in the Northern Virginia area. He studied cello at Louisiana State University and frequently performs with the Virginia, Fairfax, and McLean Orchestras. Mr. Fowkes is currently Director of Orchestras at Fairfax High School, Music Director and Conductor of the McLean Youth Orchestra, and on the artist faculty as the orchestra director of the Greater Washington Suzuki Institute. Read more about Professor Fowkes here.
Christopher Jewell, Adjunct Applied Faculty, Bassoon

Christopher Jewell is the Assistant Principal Bassoonist of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. In addition, Professor Jewell also regularly performs with the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, Post Classical Ensemble, Wolf Trap Opera Company, and the Chesapeake Chamber Orchestra. He has studied at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Manhattan School of Music. Read more about Professor Jewell here.
Kerry Wilkerson, Adjunct Applied Faculty, Baritone

Previously a member of the United States Army Chorus, Kerry Wilkerson has performed with many other prestigious groups such as the United States Air Force Singing Sergeants and the Robert Shaw Festival Singers. In addition, he has been a featured soloist in renowned works including Vaughan Williams' Sancta Civitas and Dona Nobis Pacem and Dvorak's Stabat Mater. Professor Wilkerson received his education from UNC Greensboro and George Mason University. Read more about Professor Wilkerson here.
Recent Staff Hire
Brianna Schoen, Assistant to the Director & Marketing Coordinator

Originally from Long Island, New York, Brianna Schoen holds a Master of Arts in Musicology from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance from George Mason University.She has previously worked in the marketing department of Smithsonian Folkways and the Cook Music Library at Indiana University. Read more about Ms. Schoen here.
Tonight's Events
Mason Symphony Orchestra
Friday, October 12, 7:30 pm
Our Lady of Victory Church
4835 MacArthur Blvd NW, Washington, DC 20007
Free Admission
Dr. Dennis Layendecker, conductor
featuring Hakyong Kelly Park, piano concerto soloist
(Doctor of Musical Arts candidate; student of Dr. Linda A. Monson)

Presented as a part of German Campus Weeks
The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra Presents
"Benny and Beyond"
Featuring Eddie Daniels, clarinet
Directed by Prof. Jim Carroll
Friday, October 12, 8pm
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall
Mason Madness
Featuring Doc Nix and the Green Machine
Friday, October 12, 8pm
Eagle Bank Arena

Find more info here.
Upcoming Events
Ida Kavafian of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Violin Masterclass
Saturday, October 13, Choral Room (A323)
2:30-4:30pm
Free Admission
North Texas Euphonium Quartet
Saturday, October 13, deLaski 3001
Free Admission
Faculty Artist Showcase
Sunday, October 14, 3:00 pm, Harris Theater

View the program here.

Free admission
Reception will follow

Beyond the Notes
Music Education in the Capital of the French Resistance:
The Conservatoire de Lyon
Presented by Jessica H. Grimmer, Musicologist
Monday, October 15th, 12:30pm
de Laski 3001
Read the abstract here.
Mason Wind Symphony
Tuesday, October 16, 8:00 pm, Center for the Arts
The Mason Wind Symphony, under the direction of Professor Mark Camphouse performs alongside the Fairfax Wind Symphony. The program will include works by John Stafford, Edward Gregson, Justin David Casinghino, David Gillingham, Camille Saint-Saens, Henry Fillmore, Leroy Anderson, Gustav Holst, James Howe, and John Philip Sousa.
Sacred and Profane
Tuesday, October 16, 7:30 pm, Rachel M. Schlessinger Concert Hall, Alexandria, VA
Free Admission
Presented by the NOVA Alexandria Music Department, this exciting concert will feature a mix of choirs from NOVA, George Mason University, and The Justice High School. Highlighted works include Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana", conducted by Dr. Stan Engebretson.
The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets
Wednesday, October 17, 12:30 pm, deLaski 3001
Free Admission
Baroque Dances
Friday, October 19, deLaski 3001
Free Admission
Masterclasses - 12:30 pm, 1:45 pm
Performance Lecture and Demonstration - 5:30 pm
Join the Baroque Dance Workshop for Instrumentalists presented by Paige Whitley-Bauguess. This first classes are an interactive introduction to the dance steps of the Baroque court dances, followed by a performance lecture and demonstration open to all at 5:30 pm.
Oscar Ghiglia Guitar Masterclass
Saturday, October 20, Band Room (A327)
12:0oPM-4:00PM
Free Admission
Join us for an afternoon of guitar with world-renowned Italian guitarist Oscar Ghiglia. A product of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, Italy, Ghiglia has placed first in competitions around the world including the Orense Guitar Competition, the Santiago de Compostela Competition, and the International Guitar Competition of Radio France. An active teacher, he has given lectures and masterclasses in North and South American, Japan, and Europe.
Patriot Food Drive

Our three Greek organizations, Sigma Alpha Iota, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Phi Mu Alpha, are hosting a food drive for Patriot Pantry. The Patriot Pantry provides access to non-perishable food items, toiletries, and basic school supplies to George Mason University students who are unable to afford them. They will be collecting toiletries and various nonperishable food items in the Performing Arts Building Lobby and the Johnson Center until October 19th.
Music and Well-Being
Dr. Glenn Smith has been doing amazing work in collaboration with our Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Read the article, Mason’s Music and Well-Being Programs Use the Energy of Sound for Healing, which highlights music and it's impact on mental health and wellness.
Kudos to Our Alumni and Students!
Congratulations to Mason Jazz alumni Sarah Moyers on her recent graduation from basic training and position  as a vocalist with the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band! She will be performing with four total groups: the Blue Aces (rock/pop/Motown), Full Spectrum (pop/rock), the Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble (jazz/Latin), and the Concert Band (jazz/Broadway/patriotic). Read more here.
Chandler Comer, principal trombonist of the George Mason University Wind Symphony, has been selected as the winning composer of the 2018 Phi Beta Mu Lambda Chapter Claude T. Smith Band Composition Contest for his work entitled Key West Overture. Premiered by the Mason Wind Symphony in April 2018, Key West Overture has been selected for publication by Neil A. Kjos Music Company in San Diego. Chandler is a senior mathematics major from Centreville. He will receive a $5,000 cash award as the winning composer of this prestigious national competition. Mason Director of Concert Bands, Professor Mark Camphouse, presented Comer with the Wind Symphony's 2018 Award for Outstanding Creativity and Performance in April.  
We Want to Hear From You!

We love to hear about alumni achievements.
Stay in the Know