Connecting Artists and Audiences
Each year, the Center for the Arts invites several artists and ensembles with distinctive and innovative artistic voices to make Mason their home for a residency.
Each Mason Artist-in-Residence will participate in a variety of activities, designed to engage and inspire the diverse audiences both on and off the campus of George Mason University. Learn more about the work and impact of recent Mason Artists-in-Residence.
2026–27 Mason Artists-in-Residence
The following artists have been chosen to participate in the Mason Artist-in-Residence program in conjunction with their 2026–27 Center for the Arts season performances. In addition to their respective performances, the ensembles will lead a variety of events, classes, and discussions across the Mason campus and wider community.
Music From The Sole
Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Vibrant tap dance and live music company Music From The Sole breaks down walls between music and movement” (Boston Globe). Led by Brazilian choreographer Leonardo Sandoval and composer Gregory Richardson, the ensemble embraces tap’s unique blend of sound and movement, incorporating a spectrum of influences like jazz, house, passinho, Brazilian funk), Afro-Cuban, and samba to deliver a "jolt of good energy” (The New York Times).
Third Coast Percussion
Saturday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Grammy Award-winning quartet Third Coast Percussion makes its Center for the Arts debut with an electrifying program celebrating the music and influence of composer Philip Glass, as he turns 90 in 2027. With shimmering harmonies brought to life through thrilling rhythm, color, and texture, performed on a striking array of traditional and unexpected percussion instruments, the ensemble “continues to push percussion in new directions, blurring musical boundaries and beguiling new listeners” (NPR).
This Mason Artist-in-Residence is supported by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund.
Silkroad Ensemble with Cécile McLorin Salvant
Saturday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Joined by U.S.-raised French-Haitian composer and vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble exciting world-premiere program t hat promises to be rich, surprising, and full of musical discovery. This bold collaboration began in 2023 with Salvant’s hauntingly original composition “Have You Seen My Man?”—a standout track on Silkroad’s American Railroad album, featuring Rhiannon Giddens and released on Nonesuch in 2024. The program showcases Silkroad’s signature boundary-blurring artistry.
This Mason Artist-in-Residence is supported by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund.
We believe in the power of the arts to create community, and look forward to welcoming these incredible artists this season! More information about how you can engage with the Mason Artists-in-Residence will be posted here and on the artists’ event webpages as details become available.
Sign up for email updates from the Center for the Arts to stay informed about this program and all of the activities at the Center.