Dear Mason School of Music Family,

Happy New Year! We are thrilled to present our Mason students, faculty, and guest artists in an amazing array of outstanding performances throughout the upcoming spring 2020 semester.  We invite you to join us for stunning music-making on our beautiful campus in support of our talented Mason Music students and phenomenal faculty artists. 

Our sincere congratulations to two of our outstanding adjunct applied faculty who have recently announced their retirements: Harold Summey, jazz percussion and Matt Neff, trombone. Both of these marvelous faculty artists have contributed many years of devoted teaching and service to our School of Music. They will be greatly missed by all of us. Their legacy lives on in the lives of our Mason students who have benefited from their tremendous artistry and pedagogy.

We are pleased to announce two new adjunct faculty hires for this semester: Prof. Aaron Eckert, trombone and Dr. Dennis Cole, Popular Music in America. We look forward to welcoming them to our Mason Music family!

Warm regards,

Dr. Linda A. Monson

Director, School of Music

[email protected]

Joint Euphonium Recital:

Tormod Flaten and Hiram Diaz

Wednesday, January 22nd, 6:30 PM

Harris Theatre

Free Admission

Chris Chaffee Flute Recital and Masterclass

 Wednesday, January 22nd, 7:00 PM

deLaski 3001

Free Admission

Barclay Brass

Sunday, January 26th, 4:00 PM

Harris Theatre

Free Admission

Additionally, there will be an open rehearsal and Q&A session with the Barclay Brass at 9:00 PM on Friday, January 24th in TheaterSpace (PAB First Floor)

The Faculty Artist Series features outstanding music faculty performances. All Faculty Artist Series recitals are free and open to the public and will take place in Harris Theatre.

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra:

Ellington, Basie, and Bird

Directed by Prof. Jim Carroll

Saturday, February 8th, 8:00 PM

Hylton Performing Arts Center

Mason Jazz Faculty at Blues Alley

Monday, February 10th, 8:00 and 10:00 PM

Blues Alley

1073 Wisconsin Avenue , Washington DC 20007

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Prof. Harold Summey (Jazz Percussion) and Prof. Matt Neff (Trombone) on their retirements! We are grateful for your contributions to the School of Music.

Harold Summey will retire from the United States Army Band in Winter 2020. A Newport News, Virginia native, Harold has performed with many great artists and ensembles since completing academic studies at Hampton University, Eastman School of Music, and Howard University. The list includes James Ingram, Patti Austin, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Aaron Neville, Ray Charles, Arlo Guthrie, Whitney Houston, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Bartz, Geri Allen, David “Fathead” Newman, Bobby Watson, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, The Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony, the Virginia Symphony, and the Richmond Symphony.

A versatile musician, Matt Neff has performed with the United State Navy Band, the National Symphony and National Philharmonic Orchestras, and the Kennedy Center Ballet Orchestra. Other significant experiences include performances with several ‘off-broadway’ shows, various big-bands (Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, Alan Baylock Orchestra, and the New Columbia Swing Orchestra), and various studio recordings. An active clinician, Matt has conducted master classes at high schools and universities across the country. He has been recognized for his compositions and arrangements, many of which have been published.

Announcement of New Hires

Prof. Aaron Eckert

Applied Jazz Trombone

Aaron Eckert, originally from Belleville, IL, is a trombonist with the U.S. Army Blues, the premier jazz ensemble of the Army. He has performed with artists such as Jon Faddis, Jeff Hamilton, Chuck Israels, Conrad Herwig, and Scott Wendholt among others. With the Army Blues, Aaron has performed across the capital region, including the White House, Capitol Building, and Kennedy Center. In addition to the Blues, Aaron performs regularly in the D.C. area in a wide variety of musical settings.

Dr. Dennis Cole

Popular Music in America

Dennis Cole is a recognized authority of American Studies, whose primary research interest centers on the music of the 20th and 21st centuries, along with various vernacular and popular musical traditions from the United States and Canada. Dr. Cole’s research began with the music and cultural influence of the Beatles, and has shifted, more recently, to the music of Frank Zappa. As the Executive Director for the Drum Corps Heritage Society, Dr. Cole’s focuses his efforts toward the history and preservation of the North American drum and bugle corps.

Pianist GaYoung Lee was a featured Winter 2019 graduate! Read more about her journey here.

The National Philharmonic Chorale, directed by Dr. Stan Engebretson, was recently hailed in the Montgomery Sentinel for their performance of Handel's Messiah. Read more here.