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Small Island Big Song Residency Showcases Indigenous Artists with Earth Day Message

Zoe Harr — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:17:52 +0000

Small Island Big Song Residency Showcases Indigenous Artists with Earth Day Message Zoe Harr Mon, 02/26/2024 - 12:17

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Honor Earth Day weekend with Small Island Big Song on April 20 at George Mason University's Center for the Arts for a moving musical experience that combines music, spoken word, and stunning projections to showcase the sounds of various island nations of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while shining a light on the devastating effects of climate crisis on our world’s ocean.

Small Island Big Song is the brainchild of Australian filmmaker and music producer Tim Cole and Taiwanese theater producer BaoBao Chen (pictured left), who traveled to 16 island nations to capture unique sounds and cinematic sights while working with over a hundred indigenous local artists, elders, community groups, and grassroots musicians. The result of this inspiring research and storytelling yielded two award-winning albums, a feature film, and a world-touring concert. For Small Island Big Song’s April performance, panoramic visuals will work alongside live musicians to highlight a shared seafaring ancestry with interconnected musical traditions.

Small Island Big Song establishes a contemporary musical dialogue between cultures as far afield as Madagascar, Aotearoa, Taiwan, Mauritius, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, and Rapa Nui.
(Photo Credit: Small Island Big Song)

To learn more about Small Island Big Song’s creation and its many artists involved, please visit the project’s website.

As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Small Island Big Song will also work with the community through classes and workshops during the week surrounding the performance, including an Artists in Conversation event and schooltime matinee, both of which are free offerings and detailed below.

Small Island Big Song performs at the Center on April 20. (Photo Credit: Tony Tsai)

Co-presented by the City of Fairfax and Center for the Arts, Small Island Big Song will host an Artists in Conversation titled “Our Shared Seafaring Heritage, Alive in Rhythm and Song” on April 2 at the Stacey C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax, Virginia. This free, open-to-the-public lecture-demonstration will provide context prior to the April 20 performance with geographical and historical background about the great oceanic migrations that affected the featured island nations. Additionally, the evening will consist of conversation and musical demonstrations from Small Island Big Song artists, followed by an interactive Q&A session with audience members. This event is free, but registration is required; additional information can be found on the event webpage.

On April 19, Small Island Big Song invites local students to experience a schooltime performance that includes participatory dance and rhythmic activities, as well as an open Q&A with students. In addition to this special truncated performance with participatory activities, Small Island Big Song offers a free Study Guide that includes an introduction to the project, useful links, and relevant historical information. This performance is free, but registration is required; additional information can be found on the field trips webpage.

Get tickets today and join “one very big, very happy family doing what they do best while helping get the word out on a most serious issue” (RootsWorld [US]), Small Island Big Song on April 20.

This engagement of Small Island Big Song is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Mason Artist-in-Residence program is supported in part by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund. The Artist-in-Residence program for this performance is sponsored by Eloise Stinger.

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Artist in Residence

Mason Artist-in-Residence A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Leads Events Across Campus and Community

Zoe Harr — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 20:40:32 +0000

Mason Artist-in-Residence A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Leads Events Across Campus and Community Zoe Harr Mon, 01/08/2024 - 15:40

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham performs at the Center on February 17. (Photo credit: Steven Pisano; Dancer: Donovan Reed).

On February 17, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham presents works by acclaimed choreographers, as well as its artistic director and MacArthur Genius Award-winning choreographer Kyle Abraham, in an evening of visionary works using various dance and music styles that uncover the relationships between identity, history, and geography.

In a 2023 New York Times article, the company’s goals are emphasized, stating, “Kyle Abraham has a mission—and it’s bigger than himself. He likes to spread the love with his company, A.I.M., and, in doing so, broaden the viewer’s experience of what a dance concert by a choreographer-led company can be."

This Black-led contemporary dance company aims to create a body of dance-based work that is galvanized by Black culture and history while promoting the power of dance and diverse perspectives.

“As an artist born in the late 1970s, I’ve experienced a change in society that brings me hope. My choreography is a reflection of that hope, but also lives in the reality of my experiences and the cultural work that still needs to be done,” says Kyle Abraham, artistic director.

Want to learn more about A.I.M by Kyle Abraham’s mission and core values? Read more on the company’s official website.

As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham company members will also work with the community through classes and workshops surrounding the performance, which are detailed below.

In a classroom visit to Mason School of Dance’s “Senior Synthesis” course taught by instructor Susan Shields, senior dance students will be joined by A.I.M company members and discuss career opportunities, professional development, and advice, through the lens of A.I.M company members lived experiences.
The company will engage with the students of Mason’s African and African American Studies (AAAS) program.
City of Fairfax Theatre Company members and A.I.M artists collaborate in a workshop titled “Unifying Uniqueness.” Part conversation and part movement workshop, “Unifying Uniqueness” investigates the ideologies surrounding uniqueness and likenesses in each participant. Led by A.I.M company members, students of all levels will learn phrases of material from A.I.M repertory; engage in a dialogue centered around early memories; and integrate movement with ideas of perception, family, and freedom.
A.I.M. company members will lead an A.I.M Movement Workshop with local high school students at Fairfax Academy and Colgan High School, as well as Mason School of Dance students and Washington, D.C.’s Dance Place adult students of both intermediate and advanced skill level.

In addition to these special residency events, a pre-performance discussion with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham Rehearsal Director Jessica Tong will take place on Monson Grand Tier prior to the performance on February 17. The discussion will be moderated by School of Dance faculty member, Lawrence M. Jackson.

Get tickets today and experience “one of the most consistently excellent troupes working today” (New York Times), A.I.M by Kyle Abraham on February 17.

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Susan Shields

Lawrence M. Jackson

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Learn About Mason's Artist in Residence Program

Black History Month at the Center for the Arts

The A.I.M by Kyle Abraham residency is part of February Black History Month events at the Center for the Arts. Read more about the offerings.

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College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

Artist in Residence

Black History Month

Mason Artist-in-Residence Silkroad Ensemble Leads Events Across Campus and Community

Zoe Harr — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 15:52:41 +0000

Mason Artist-in-Residence Silkroad Ensemble Leads Events Across Campus and Community Zoe Harr Fri, 10/27/2023 - 11:52

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Returning for their second of three years as a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Silkroad Ensemble and Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens present the world premiere of American Railroad, an initiative that maps American music through the various communities involved in building the late-1800s Transcontinental Railroad and its connecting railways. In its description of the project, Silkroad explains that though corporations and the American government financed the railroad, the people who built it are the focus of this program—Indigenous and African Americans as well Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and other immigrant laborers whose contributions have been largely erased from history. American Railroad highlights untold stories and amplifies unheard voices from these communities.

“The American Railroad project has been years in the making, and the program we've created for our first tour is only the beginning. In it, we shed light on those who have been erased or overlooked throughout American history and merge with it Silkroad's unique ability to amplify voices from a multitude of backgrounds and cultures. The result is a tapestry of stories, traditions, and musics that have shaped our multifaceted cultural identity, and that must be heard and recognized,” stated Giddens.

Want to learn more about the American Railroad project? Read Silkroad Ensemble’s description.

As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Silkroad artists will also work with the community through classes and workshops surrounding the performance, which are detailed below.

In a session with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), three Silkroad artists—Karen Ouzounian (cello/vocals), Shawn Conley (bass), and Kaoru Watanabe (Japanese flutes/percussion)—will lead a musical morning that includes individual demonstrations and a participatory Q&A with OLLI participants.
Silkroad Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens joins Silkroad artist Mazz Swift in a “Beyond the Note” Roundtable event, cohosted by the Dewberry School of Music, that includes conversation with BIPOC College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) students Darren Badley, Telah Harper, and Alyssa Cabassa, as they discuss the successes and challenges experienced by BIPOC musicians and artists.
As part of Mason’s Folklore Program, the course “Global Folklore” taught by Professor Debra Lattanzi Shutika will be joined by Silkroad artist Kaoru Watanabe (Japanese flutes/percussion) and guest artists on the American Railroad program Pura Fé Crescioni (lap-steel guitar/vocals) and Francesco Turrisi (frame drums/accordion) for a special class session that will include musical demonstrations and a participatory Q&A with more than 70 students in attendance.

Silkroad Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens joins Silkroad Ensemble at the Center on Nov. 5.

In addition to the activities above, multiple Silkroad artists have taken part in a semester-long Mason Honors College course for fall 2023, “The Silk Road and the Railroad: An artistic exploration of the Transcontinental Railroad in American history and culture.” Taught by College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Rick Davis, this academic course explores the many cultures, histories, music, and narratives of the Transcontinental Railroad, providing context to Silkroad’s newest initiative. Earlier this semester, Silkroad artists visited the class for discussions and will offer an opportunity for students to watch a Silkroad Ensemble rehearsal prior to the November 5 performance.

To learn more about this fall 2023 Honors College course, check out a recent article with Professor Rick Davis.

Get your tickets today and join Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens on November 5 for the powerful world-premiere performance of American Railroad.

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College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) School of Music

folklore

Dewberry School of Music

OLLI

Honors College

See more images from the event by visiting a gallery of images.

ARTS by George! 2023 Raises More than $275,000 to Support Mason Arts

Zoe Harr — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:25:00 +0000

ARTS by George! 2023 Raises More than $275,000 to Support Mason Arts Zoe Harr Tue, 10/10/2023 - 10:25

CVPA Dean Rick Davis holds Fund-A-Student auction prior to the evening's concert. Credit: Risdon Photography.

ARTS by George! returned on Saturday, September 30, 2023, hosted by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) at George Mason University. The benefit event, which was headlined by GRAMMY and Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, raised more than $275,000 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 Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. With donations still coming in, ARTS by George! has raised more than $4.1 million for the arts at Mason since the event began in 2006.

The event gave students and faculty from each discipline an opportunity to present behind-the-scenes showcases, film screenings, performances, and interactive experiences. Programming was held in eight open studios, venues, and rehearsal halls across Mason’s Fairfax campus, with beverage and cuisine stations offered throughout.

“ARTS by George! 2023 is in the books, and one for the books,” remarks CVPA Dean Rick Davis. “Thanks to a considerable village, this edition was quite possibly the most uplifting, free-flowing, artistically engaging version of this storied tradition. A hearty thanks to all the students, faculty, staff, and volunteers who made it work better than ever, and to Renée Elise Goldsberry for a generous, inspiring concert and toast, and to our patrons, donors, sponsors, and supporters of all kinds for whom we do the work.”

During the evening’s showcases, guests flowed in and out of three buildings on the Fairfax Campus: deLaski Performing Arts Building, Harris Theatre, and Horizon Hall. Inside deLaski, students from the Dewberry School of Music dazzled the crowd with the powerful voices of Mason Opera students or the impressive instrumental skills ranging from piano to wind symphony. The Dewberry School of Music didn’t stop the beat all night, with talented instrumental and vocal musicians presenting piano, jazz, and opera selections during the nearly two hours of student showcases.

Mason Community Arts Academy perform selections from Newsies. Credit: Risdon Photography.

Just down the hall, students from the Mason Community Arts Academy presented previews of their work and in a separate room, Film at Mason played selections on an array of television screens, inviting patrons to see what students had created in the program. In another wing of deLaski, emerging professionals of the Mason School of Dance performed to packed houses. With both intimate dance performances, as well as the Mason School of Dance’s collaboration with the Dewberry School of Music in their revival of “Come Sunday,” rooms were frequently filled shoulder to shoulder with enthusiastic audience members.

As guests made their way out of deLaski across the Johnson Center Plaza, they were enticed into Harris Theater by the sounds of Mason School of Theater students. Alternating their time on the Harris stage, students astonished the crowd with songs from their upcoming production of 9 to 5 The Musical as well as a student-written one-act play by Dyllan Hutchinson entitled “So, Two Spies Walk Into a Restaurant,” which premiered earlier in The Originals! this September. More music flowed from the amphitheater space between Harris and Horizon Hall, where Green Machine’sFife and Drum ensemble as well as Green & Gold Soul, joined by dance group Emerald Desire, kept energies high as guests ambled along the walkway into Horizon Hall.

Mason School of Theater students (left to right) Kamy Satterfield, Sarah Stewart, Emma Harris, Lexi Carter, Aiden Breneman-Pennas, and Brett Womack join Renée Elise Goldsberry on stage during the evening's concert. Credit: Risdon Photography.

Inside Horizon Hall, Mason’s Computer Game Design program and Virginia Serious Game Institute created mini studios inside the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX), where guests explored a change of scenery with actual reality and virtual reality headsets. Also in the MIX, the School of Art and Mason Exhibitions gave guests a chance to play with printing, personalizing a postcard they could take with them as a memento of their experience, while elsewhere in the space, Mason Computer Game Design and Mason Exhibitions invited visitors to play selections from the 2023 Progress@Play Competition and Master of Art in Teaching students demonstrated 3D printing. In addition to the buffet within Horizon, Mason Exhibition’s Metamorphosis, an exhibition created by Mason faculty, decorated the space and a Dewberry School of Music student played guitar in the seating area to round out the spectacular mood in the space.

Dewberry School of Music alumni flutist Eduardo Fajardo. Credit: Risdon Photography.

After the showcases, guests transitioned to the Center for the Arts for a live Fund-A-Student Raise the Paddle event, which brought in more than $36,000 towards the total raised, prior to the performance by Renée Elise Goldsberry. Guests and concert-goers were also treated to Dewberry School of Music piano student Kai Shi and School of Music alumni flutist Eduardo Fajardo in a performance paired with personal anecdotes about the importance of student scholarships.

Capping off the evening, Renée Elise Goldsberry performed a concert culminating in multiple standing ovations, an explosive encore, and multiple sing-along moments from Hamilton fans in the exhilarated audience. Interspersed with personal anecdotes, Goldsberry emphasized the importance of student scholarships and love for young artists, noting that she started as one herself. For her final number of the evening, Goldsberry invited Mason School of Theater students Kamy Satterfield, Sarah Stewart, Emma Harris, Lexi Carter, Aiden Breneman-Pennas, and Brett Womack to join her on stage in a medley from the musical Rent. With tears and shining smiles, the students bowed with Goldsberry stepping back to gesture to the students with a proud expression on her face.

Renée Elise Goldsberry and Rick Davis lead a champagne toast on stage. Credit: Risdon Photography.

After the show, Goldsberry and Davis ended the night with a champagne toast on stage for donors, students, and George Mason faculty. Goldsberry reimagined Hamilton’s “Satisfied,” singing, “A toast to ARTS by George! and George Mason University. To the donors and the teachers who are always by your side. To the students and the hope that you provide, may you always be satisfied!"

ARTS by George! has raised more than $4.1 million since it began in 2006, with net proceeds going toward student scholarships and community arts programs.

It’s not too late to contribute! Make a difference in the lives of Mason Arts students, staff, faculty, community arts partners, as well as arts lovers of all ages in the region. For more information, please visit the CVPA website.

View Images from ARTS by George! 2023

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Strategic Direction

Exploring the American Railroad with GRAMMY-winning Silkroad Ensemble

Zoe Harr — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 16:31:33 +0000

Exploring the American Railroad with GRAMMY-winning Silkroad Ensemble Zoe Harr Wed, 09/27/2023 - 12:31

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Learn About Mason Artist-in-Residence Program

In March 2023, the GRAMMY Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble debuted their program, Uplifted Voices, at the Center for the Arts, launching their three-year arc as a Mason Artist-in-Residence. Now, Silkroad Ensemble returns for its second year of residency with the world premiere of its program American Railroad on November 5. Various members of Silkroad Ensemble will engage the community through a variety of events, classes, and discussions, including semester-long participation in a fall 2023 Mason Honors College course, “The Silk Road and the Railroad: An artistic exploration of the Transcontinental Railroad in American history and culture.”

Taught by College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Rick Davis, this academic course will explore the many cultures, histories, music, and narratives of the Transcontinental Railroad, providing context to Silkroad Ensemble’s newest initiative to map American music through the various immigrant communities involved in building the late-1800s Transcontinental Railroad. To learn more about this class and its connection to Silkroad Ensemble’s upcoming November performance, the Center asked Dean Rick Davis to expand upon the course.

Silkroad members, including violinist Mazz Swift, will participate virtually in Mason's "The Silk Road and the Railroad" course.

What is the significance of Mason offering this semester-long academic course in conjunction with the Silkroad Ensemble’s culminating concert at the Center for the Arts?

A key mission of the Center for the Arts is to bring the voice of professional artists into close contact with Mason students, both in the arts and beyond. It is particularly exciting when those students represent a wide range of interests. My current Honors College class comprises more than 15 different academic majors and a like number of minors, from Forensic Science to Engineering to Economics to Modern Languages. Everyone brings their own perspective to the subject, while engaging with the artists of Silkroad Ensemble in ways that demonstrate the universality and power of the arts to ask questions and tell stories that resonate across cultures and disciplines.

In what ways is this new project from Silkroad Ensemble, American Railroad, relevant to modern audiences?

I think it's a brilliant idea to bring the vast metaphor of the Silk Road, that connector of cultures and shaper of economies, closer to home by focusing on the Transcontinental Railroad (and, by extension, railroads more generally) as a transformative element in American history. The cultural connections and clashes that the railroad created (including indigenous and enslaved populations), the role of immigrants in its construction, the very idea that for the first time one could move people and goods quickly across this vast continent—all represent huge shifts in the way our country grew and thought about itself. That, in turn, created songs, stories, paintings, and photographs that still resonate today. The Silkroad Ensemble have studied this very deeply and are creating a variety of original responses. As a symbol of profound change, the railroad has few equals and we are always seeking to understand and live with change, today and every day.

Get your tickets today and join Silkroad Ensemble on November 5 for its stunning world-premiere performance of American Railroad.

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Get to know Silkroad Ensemble Cellist/Composer, Karen Ouzounian

Zoe Harr — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 17:23:28 +0000

Get to know Silkroad Ensemble Cellist/Composer, Karen Ouzounian Zoe Harr Thu, 01/12/2023 - 12:23

Mason Artist-in-Residence Program

Karen Ouzounian joins Silkroad Ensemble at the Center on January 29 at 4 p.m.

The GRAMMY Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble debuts their newest program Uplifted Voices at the Center for the Arts on January 29. This program highlights previously under-recognized voices from across the globe to change our perspective of the history and migration of music.

Through a stunning collaboration of global instrumentation and strings, Silkroad's newest project champions women and nonbinary members of the Silkroad Ensemble alongside special guest Tuscarora/Taíno musician Pura Fé to tell a musical journey that connects the music of indigenous North America to the World. Drawing inspiration from the folk and ancestral music of Japan, China, Armenia, Ireland, and the Hebrides, and native populations across North America, Uplifted Voices brings together this collection of distinctive and powerful musical origins within a contemporary musical tapestry.

This concert kicks off Silkroad Ensemble's three-year residency with the Center for the Arts, during which they will engage the community through a variety of events. On Monday, January 30, the ensemble will lead three residency events at Mason.

Get to know Silkroad member and cellist/composer Karen Ouzounian, whose playing The New York Times has described as “radiant” and “expressive.”

As a member of Silkroad Ensemble, what are some of the things you've enjoyed most about performing and collaborating with them?

The members of the Silkroad Ensemble are each so unique as musicians, and they each bring such an incredible level of creativity and energy to rehearsals and performances. We all are involved in many different types of music-making outside of the ensemble, but when we do get to play together, the joy of performing together is electrifying.

As this will be the "Uplifted Voices" program's area premiere, what piece from the program are you looking forward to playing most? In what ways do you hope it will speak to our community?

There are so many pieces on this program I am looking forward to playing, but perhaps somewhat selfishly, I am particularly nervous and excited about a piece I wrote called "Der Zor." This is the first piece I’ve written for a Silkroad Ensemble live performance and it is a particularly meaningful one for me. It is based on archival recordings of an Armenian folk song (my family is Armenian) called "Der Zor Chollerende," a song sung in Turkish by the victims of the Armenian Genocide while on the forced marches into the Syrian desert of Der Zor. In 1915 and 1916, hundreds of thousands of Armenians were marched to their deaths in Der Zor by the Ottoman Turkish government. The principal recording I was inspired by was made by Armenians in 1939 in Fresno, California, but I subsequently found other recordings of the song made over the last 100 years from across the world, mapping out the spread of the Armenian diaspora. It’s a haunting and devastating song, but the fact that these recordings exist, and that we as musicians can share this music for you live, carries with it a hopeful message.

You've mentioned that you find great importance in supporting the next generation of artists which is a goal of Mason's Artist-in-Residence program, which Silkroad Ensemble is a part of in a three-year residency. What do you hope to bring to the table for students in Northern Virginia's local community?

One of the things I love most about our Uplifted Voices program is how it highlights the individual and particular creativity of each of the members of the ensemble, and it showcases all of us in different relationships with each other. There are full ensemble pieces as well as pieces for small groups and duos. We all take turns playing in lead and accompanying roles. Many of us have also written pieces for the program and we are each stretching ourselves and trying new things in one way or another. I hope that this program gives every student the inspiration and encouragement to explore and experiment with ways to express themselves artistically, in whatever medium they are drawn to.

Tell us about your history with the cello. When did you discover your love for the instrument? What makes it stand out amongst other stringed instruments?

I began playing the cello around age 7 and felt like I connected with the instrument very early on. But growing up it was always a struggle to balance cello practice with school and everything else, so it wasn’t until I started studying at Juilliard that I had the chance to focus my life around the cello. I’m so grateful to have studied with my teacher there, Timothy Eddy—he’s a profound musician and thinker, a person with the utmost integrity, and he really opened the door to music, and essentially to life, to me. Playing the cello and studying music have given my life meaning and even the sense that life can feel limitless.

You have many musical projects under your belt, including the GRAMMY-nominated Aizuri Quartet and an experimental theater work with director Joanna Settle. What is something you always try to feature and emphasize in projects you are involved in?

For me the success and joy of collaboration always comes down to the people. I am constantly looking for artists I not only see eye-to-eye with, but artists that I can learn from, who push me out of my comfort zones and help me grow. I also love projects that combine a sense of history and storytelling with a modern aesthetic and a contemporary sense of the world.

Collaboration is something you've noted to be important to you. If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, who would you choose and why?

This is a difficult question! I am at a stage in my career where I am thinking a lot both about creating work that is true to my identity as an artist, but also about continuing to learn new things. I am particularly interested in learning from and working with performers from the world of my ancestors: Armenia, Turkey, and the Arab world, artists ranging from oud players to jazz musicians like Tigran Hamasyan.

Purchase your tickets now for Silkroad Ensemble at the Center for the Arts (1/29), and in the meantime, enjoy a video of Karen Ouzounianin action with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony.

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Artist in Residence

Introducing a New Look for Mason Arts at Home!

Kirstin Franko — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 19:40:47 +0000

Introducing a New Look for Mason Arts at Home! Kirstin Franko Wed, 11/09/2022 - 14:40

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Adrienne Bryant Godwin

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More Information and FAQs

Mason Arts at Home is an online platform and “digital venue” featuring curated arts experiences, including livestreamed concerts, releases of previously recorded content, behind-the-scenes talks with artists, and more. It features both free and pay-to-view options from professional touring artists from the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center, as well as faculty, students, and alumni from George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“Over the past few years, artists and audiences learned that we didn’t need a theater to be able to engage with inspiring artistic works,” shared Director of Audience Programming Adrienne Bryant Godwin. “After launching Mason Arts at Home in April 2020, we quickly learned the incalculable benefits of providing access to high quality arts programming on a digital platform. As we have returned to in-person performances, we are committed to continuing offer opportunities for professional artists and our students and faculty to share their work with audiences across the globe on this digital platform, furthering the College’s mission to advance the study, creation, performance, and exhibition of the arts.”

Mason Arts at Home is a constantly evolving digital resource to experience the arts at Mason. Create a free account and explore the current archival offerings in addition to two upcoming performances which offer a pay-to-view limited release: Mason School of Theater’s upcoming performance of Sutta and the Hylton Center’s A Celtic Christmas with Seán Heely.

For more information, including frequently asked questions about the new platform, visit the Center for the Arts' Mason Arts at Home website.

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Mason Arts at Home

Center for the Arts

Hylton Center

ARTS by George! Returns, raising nearly $250,000 to support students in the arts at Mason

Emily Schneider — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 20:55:40 +0000

ARTS by George! Returns, raising nearly $250,000 to support students in the arts at Mason Emily Schneider Tue, 10/04/2022 - 16:55

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See more images from the event by clicking here!

Kristin Chenoweth (right) stands backstage with Dean Rick Davis of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

“The full-scale return of ARTS by George! was a joyous experience from top to bottom,” exclaims Rick Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

ARTS by George returned on Saturday, September 24, 2022, following a two-year hiatus, hosted by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) at George Mason University. The event gave students and faculty from each discipline an opportunity to pull back the curtain and present behind-the-scenes showcases, film screenings, performances, and interactive experiences. Stations of exquisite cuisine and beverages were available to guests while attending exhibits across ten open studios and rehearsal halls on Mason’s Fairfax Campus.

In a truly special start to the evening, students from the School of Theater were able to join the event’s headliner, Kristin Chenoweth, for her soundcheck in the Concert Hall of the Center for the Arts, prior to their own performances in the evening’s showcases. The Tony and Emmy Award winner welcomed them with open arms, remarking “These are my people! I’m your people and you're my people, and I'm so excited to have you here tonight!”

Students from the School of Theater perform selections from the upcoming production of Head Over Heels at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

During the evening’s showcases, guests flowed in and out of three buildings on the Fairfax Campus: the de Laski Performing Arts Building, Harris Theatre, and Horizon Hall. Inside de Laski, students from the School of Theater dazzled the crowd with their powerful voices and clever choreography as they previewed songs from their upcoming production of Head Over Heels. Just down the hall, the emerging professionals of Mason’s School of Dance performed to packed houses, and graciously responded to questions from the audience after each performance. The Dewberry School of Music didn’t stop the beat all night, with talented instrumental and vocal musicians presenting piano, jazz, and opera selections during the two and half hours of student showcases.

Students from the School of Dance perform during a showcase at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

As guests made their way out of deLaski across the Johnson Center Plaza, they were enticed into Harris Theater by the resonant sounds of Mason’s Symphony Orchestra. Alternating their time on the Harris stage, students from the Film and Video Studies program screened their films, offering guests a sneak peek into the revolutionary stories crafted at Mason. More music flowed from the amphitheater space between Harris and Horizon Hall, where the Spirit Drumline, the 8^th Green Machine Regiment Band, and the Green Machine Pep Band kept toes tapping as guests ambled along the walkway into Horizon Hall.

The Mason Symphony Orchestra performs on the stage of Harris Theatre during ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

Members of the Green Machine Pep Band perform outside Horizon Hall at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

Inside Horizon Hall, staff and students from Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA) spoke about the impact of having such incredible arts programs available in our community from such a young age, and performed vocal and instrumental music for the assembled crowd. Offering a hands-on exploration of their disciplines, the Film and Video Studies program and the Computer Game Design program created mini studios inside the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX), where guests explored a change of scenery via the green screen demonstrations and virtual reality headsets. Also in the MIX, the School of Art gave guests a chance to play with printing, personalizing a postcard they could take with them as a memento of their experience, while elsewhere in the room, students chatted with guests while demonstrating the capabilities of the 3D printers.

Faculty from the School of Art walk guests through the interactive printing station in the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX) at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

A guest poses in front of the green screen during a demonstration by the Film and Video Studies program at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

A student from Mason Community Arts Academy performs a song on her violin at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

Guests test out the virtual reality demonstration with the Computer Game Design program at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

After the showcases, everyone flowed down the hill and into the Center for the Arts Concert Hall for the live auction, followed by the headlining concert. Guests were welcomed to the auction by Mason President Gregory Washington, who remarked, “Tonight, we celebrate the excellence of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and the vibrant cultural offerings it provides to our campuses and wider community. The arts are one of the front doors to the university and attract visitors of all ages and backgrounds. We’re pleased that so many of you have found your way through our door to become involved with CVPA and Mason. Your generosity supports student scholarships and helps ensure that talent meets opportunity, and that budding artists can develop their gifts and pursue their passions here at Mason.”

President Gregory Washington Addresses the Crowd at ARTS! By George 2022. (Photo by Cable Risdon Photography)

The auction items and the Fund-A-Student opportunities, which directly contribute to the scholarships available to CVPA students, raised more than $23,000. Taking the stage after the auction, Rick Davis expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the full house, saying “As I’m sitting here, knowing the students that these contributions support, many of them personally, many of them in my classes, knowing what it does for our College’s ability to grant the opportunity of a first-rate education, not just in the arts, but a first-rate university education, knowing what we have accomplished here tonight in just these 27 minutes or so, is personally very, very, very gratifying, so thank you all so very, very much. . . Some of you know me well and you’ll know that when I say I’m almost speechless, you’ll know that that is a significant accomplishment!”

Capping off the evening, Kristin Chenoweth performed a concert from her album For The Girls, a tribute to prominent female singers throughout history. After the show, Chenoweth and Davis ended the night with a champagne toast on stage.

The annual philanthropic event raised approximately $250,000 for student scholarships in dance, theater, game design, film, music, visual arts, and arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts.

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts

A Concert with a Cause: Jazz4Justice™ Celebrates 20 Years of Giving back through Music

Kirstin Franko — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 20:32:12 +0000

A Concert with a Cause: Jazz4Justice™ Celebrates 20 Years of Giving back through Music Kirstin Franko Wed, 11/03/2021 - 16:32

Hear members of the Mason Jazz Ensemble and more in Jazz4Justice™ November 20 at 8 p.m. at the Center for the Arts. Photo by Gabriel Rivera-Martinez.

On Saturday, November 20 at 8 p.m., George Mason University’s Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music is proud to present the Jazz4Justice™ 20th Anniversary Concert, a one-of-a-kind event celebrating Northern Virginia’s love of music while raising funds to support legal services for low-income Northern Virginians and the George Mason University Jazz Studies program.

This year, in celebration of Jazz4Justice™’s 20^th anniversary, Professor of Jazz Studies and Mason Jazz Ensemble Director Jim Carroll has assembled a stellar musical program featuring a tribute to the great Duke Ellington. The performance will include world premieres of new music as well as classic jazz standards performed by the Mason Jazz Ensemble and Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble. To commemorate the special event, George Mason University Provost and Executive Vice President Mark Ginsberg will take the stage as a special guest conductor and lead the Mason Jazz Ensemble in select performances.

“We thought what better person to ask to take the baton as guest conductor for our 20th Anniversary than our Chief Academic Officer, Provost Mark Ginsberg,” Carroll said. “We are grateful he agreed to join us and lead us as Special Guest Conductor.”

Jazz4Justice™ is presented in partnership with Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV), a nonprofit legal aid organization that has assisted thousands of clients in the NOVA region for over 40 years. The services of LSNV in tandem with the musical talents of Mason’s Jazz and Vocal Ensemble has transformed Jazz4Justice™ into a welcoming space where Jazz admirers can congregate and celebrate their love for music. With over 3,000 concert attendees annually and over 50 Jazz4Justice™ concerts held so far, the audience response has been an enthusiastic one, and the event’s reach continues to expand year after year. In celebration of Jazz4Justice™’s incredible impact, alumni from the Dewberry School of Music Jazz program have been invited back to perform during the event’s program.

“Giving back to the community through musical performance is a great opportunity to share the joy and history of Jazz,” shared Tomas Jackson, a Dewberry School of Music alumnus (MA in Music ’20) and six-time Jazz4Justice™ performer. “Those strong relationships have lasted past my graduation and have inspired my peers and I to continue our support of our community and pursuit of Jazz through writing, arranging, recording, and performing. We will always be grateful for the opportunities and inspiration Jazz4Justice™ provided us.”

Professor of Jazz Studies and Mason Jazz Ensemble Director Jim Carroll with the 2021 Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations.

Jazz4Justice™ began in 2000 when Fairfax attorney Edward L. Weiner attended a jazz recital by Mason’s School of Music. Impressed by the music, and reflecting on his work as a past President of the Fairfax Law Foundation (FLF), Weiner saw an opportunity for a new partnership—one in which universities would provide the musical talent and the local legal community would provide the audience and sponsors.

Today, this breakthrough idea has grown into a symphonic, celebratory event with over $500,000 raised for music scholarships, educational aid, and charitable legal services for Virginians in need of civic resources. Due to its astounding impact, Jazz4Justice™ has received awards from the American Bar Association and the Virginia State Bar, and has most recently received the 2021 Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations, a coveted award recognizing leadership in fostering beneficial relationships between George Mason University and the community during the past year.

“This year’s Jazz4Justice is especially important as so many people in our community are hurting,” Carroll added. “That we can use Jazz, a true metaphor for democracy and teach our students to be “Artists as Citizens”' is truly a blessing.”

Tickets to the concert at the Center for the Arts are available at the Ticket Office (open Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), by calling at 703-993-2787, or at cfa.gmu.edu.

Topics

Center for the Arts