News

The College of Visual and Performing Arts celebrated the in-person return of ARTS! By George in 2022. This signature annual event showcases everything within the College, from groundbreaking and exciting visual art and design to exquisite performances.

“An evening like no other,” ARTS by George! makes its in-person return on September 24. The philanthropic event, headlined by Emmy® and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, raises support for student scholarships in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performance at Mason season at the Center for the Arts.

Rising star Meghan Kasanders has already been hailed by The New York Times for her “authentically Wagnerian sound" and by Opera News for her "rich dramatic soprano. See her make her Wagnerian debut as Sieglinde in Virginia Opera’s production of "The Valkyrie" at the Center for the Arts on Oct. 8 and 9.

Free student tickets to events at the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University.

The venerated Preservation Hall Jazz Band brings its classic New Orleans sound to the Center for the Arts at George Mason University in November 2022.

Baritone Kyle Albertson discusses Virginia Opera's "The Valkyrie," which will be presented at the Center for the Arts Oct. 8 and 9, 2022.

Still tapping our toes, the Center for the Arts looks back on SW!NG OUT's time within the community, George Mason University, and the Center. As an Artist-in-Residence, SW!NG OUT company members engaged with local swing dance groups, area students, Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative, and community members to share the history of swing and Lindy Hop—and get dancing too! After a wonderful collection of community activities, SW!NG OUT concluded its time at George Mason University with its highly anticipated performance at the Center for the Arts on March 19.

The Center for the Arts at George Mason University announced its 2022/2023 season of mainstage performances, featuring a diverse lineup of artists and ensembles across many genres, as part of Great Performances at Mason and the Family Series. 

GRAMMY-winning composer and Mason Artist-in-Residence Maria Schneider worked with students, faculty, staff, and community members during her April 2022 residency at the Center for the Arts.

The American Festival Pops Orchestra’s May 14 performance will mark our beloved Maestro Anthony Maiello’s final performance with the orchestra, capping off 12 years of leadership. To celebrate this milestone, we asked the maestro about what he’s loved about this time, and what’s next for him.

Longtime Friend of the Center for the Arts (FCFA), Bob Warakomsky, shares his personal history of being a Friend and collected memories of Friends who attest to the incredible experience of supporting the arts through FCFA. We invite you to get to know some of our Friends.

Mozart’s beloved four-act comic opera, "The Marriage of Figaro," is the kind of mad and frantic bedroom farce from which guilty (and not-so-guilty) pleasures are made. Artistic Director of Virginia Opera (VAO), Adam Turner, states, “This story, these characters-they're all incredibly relevant and resonant. You’ll find a way to see a connection with these characters in some fashion because these are all still themes we still explore today.”