Center for the Arts

Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble Debuts 'Pepperland' at Hylton Center

Zoe Harr — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:13:47 +0000

Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble Debuts 'Pepperland' at Hylton Center Zoe Harr Mon, 01/23/2023 - 12:13

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A longtime fan favorite at the Hylton Center’s sister venue, the Center for the Arts at George Mason University, Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble will make its debut at the Hylton Center on February 11 with the company’s critically acclaimed tribute to the Beatles Pepperland.

Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble comes to the Hylton Center on February 11.

Founded in 1980 by critically acclaimed choreographer Mark Morris, the Mark Morris Dance Group was joined by the Music Ensemble in 1996, forming a group that deserves the “highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity” (Bloomberg News).

Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble’s Pepperland features choreography set to new arrangements of familiar songs from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as well as original music by former member of The Bad Plus, Ethan Iverson. “Half the piece is arrangements of the songs we all know,” Iverson states, “Half is brand new danceable pieces responding to the strong undercurrent of classical music present on the original album.” Getting connected with Mark Morris around 1995 as a rehearsal pianist, Iverson came to be Morris’ music director for over five years. He states in an interview with New Music USA, “This is when I really learned something about conventional European classical music. Mark Morris has an incandescent mind.”

Original costume sketches from Pepperland Costume Designer, Elizabeth Kurtzman.

The support that went into bringing Pepperland to the stage includes funding from more than 17 institutions. It features 15 dancers, seven live musicians, and is acclaimed for its inventive designers—ranging from costuming to lighting. Pepperland has been in development since before 2017, resulting in a “truly joyous, celebratory work of art…a brilliant homage to one of the great rock albums” (The Telegraph), which premiered at the City of Liverpool’s Sgt. Pepper at 50 Festival on May 25, 2017.

Learn more and get tickets for the much-anticipated cultural event, Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble’s Pepperland at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on February 11. In addition to their Hylton debut performance, Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble will be involved in the community.

On February 9 and 10, Brandon Cournay and Billy Smith, Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble members will lead two masterclasses with George Mason School of Dance students as well as a masterclass with students from Colgan High School’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts. They will also lead a Lecture Demonstration for the Lifelong Learning Institute of Manassas. Mark Morris Dance Group’s internationally acclaimed program Dance for Parkinson’s Disease (Dance for PD ®) will also offer a free class at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on February 10. Registration is required.

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Hylton Center

CFA

Center for the Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

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

In This Story

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

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

Center for the Arts

Hylton Center

Campus News

Meet the Maestro

Zoe Harr — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:11:28 +0000

Meet the Maestro Zoe Harr Mon, 10/31/2022 - 13:11

Artistic Director and Conductor Peter Wilson leads the American Festival Pops Orchestra at the Hylton Center on December 9 and the Center for the Arts on December 10.

Last spring, Maestro Peter Wilson picked up the baton, becoming the new artistic director and conductor of the American Festival Pops Orchestra (AFPO), effective the 2022-2023 season. No stranger to AFPO, Maestro Wilson was the orchestra’s longtime concertmaster and principal violinist, and we’re excited to see his official AFPO conducting debut in Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season at the Hylton Center (12/9) and the Center for the Arts (12/10). In the meantime, we sat down with AFPO's new maestro to learn a little bit more about him.

As we know, you are a skilled violinist and conductor, but if you could learn to play any additional instrument overnight, what instrument would you choose? Why?

PW: I’ve always had this fantasy of being a rock or jazz drummer. Even when I was a little boy studying the violin, I was drawn to the drum set parts in pop songs on the radio. Let’s face it; there’s something really cool about being able to lay down some great drum solos! Coincidentally, my dear friend and amazing AFPO drummer, Harold Summey, started out as a violinist when he was growing up, so I guess I’ll just have to live vicariously through him! He got to live my dream!

You have played at countless venues, including the Kennedy Center and the American Embassy in Paris. If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you want to perform and what piece would you open the concert with?

PW: I have never been, but think I would love to conduct a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, just because of its rich history and the magical performances that have happened there. Perhaps I could take the AFPO there one day and conduct a concert of film music, featuring John Williams! I might have to open that concert with Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.”

After serving 30 years as String Section Commander for “The President’s Own” U. S. Marine Band, what lessons did you learn from that experience that you try to implement in personal and musical endeavors now?

PW: Of my 30 years as a Marine violinist of The White House, I served 13 years as String Section Commander, and I learned so many things along the way that shaped who I am today as a person and a leader. In my subordinate role in middle management, I learned to listen to everyone else’s ideas during meetings before offering my own opinion on matters; and as a leader of those in my section, I learned to celebrate the uniqueness of each member and champion them to have their own voice rather than expecting the same from everyone. As long as folks are meeting their responsibilities, the job is far more engaging with the diversity of personalities and artistry.

You take pride in your goal to promote new works of music. What elements draw you to a particular piece of music?

PW: I appreciate composers who offer a unique voice within the traditions of our art form. There’s never only one way to be introduced to new music, and sometimes one discovers a composer by accident because his or her work appears on a concert you are attending. Circumstances can also play a role in how music is received. I’m drawn to anything that moves me, but I always seek out the contrasts in works. In my experience, drawing attention to contrasts, whether dynamic, textural, or tonal, is what brings out the magic in a work, old or new.

Who is a musician, alive or deceased, that you wish you could share dinner with, and what would you talk about first?

PW: Honestly, even having worked with John Williams on two occasions, I never was able to have dinner with him! That would be an absolute delight, and I would enjoy asking him questions about how he conceived some of his most iconic themes. I would then dive deeper into his career as a conductor and perhaps explore how he got orchestras to create the sound he had in his head as a composer. He is an idol as well as a mentor to me, and simply being in his orbit is a thrilling experience.

You’ve had the privilege of meeting many musical legends including Sting, John Williams, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen. Who are the top three musicians with whom you wish you could collaborate?

PW: Well, two of those five were musicians I had the privilege of collaborating with (John Williams and Stevie Wonder), and those experiences were mind-blowing and life changing. Billy Joel has been a lifelong idol of mine, and he’s had violinists in his band from time to time when touring. He might have to be first on my list, and it would be an absolute dream-come-true to collaborate with him. I’m a big fan of Bruno Mars and Silk Sonic, so finding a way to collaborate with them would be a bucket list event. As a conductor, it would be thrilling to collaborate with violinist Gil Shaham, as I have always been an enormous fan of his artistry.

What are you looking forward to most in your new post as Artistic Director and Conductor of the American Festival Pops Orchestra?

PW: I have such a deep respect for all the musicians who make up the AFPO. After all, they have been my friends and colleagues for at least 12 years, and this tremendous ensemble has become family to me. I look forward to not only making great music with them but finding new ways to showcase their amazing talents. Equally important to me is maintaining the engagement we have with our wonderful audiences who have supported us for so many years. This is truly one of the unique elements of the AFPO concert-going experience. We break the fourth wall and connect with our audience at every level. I loved this during my many years serving as AFPO concertmaster. I look forward to our Hylton Center and Center for the Arts communities taking greater ownership of their orchestra. It belongs to them as much as to the musicians on stage, and there is nothing greater than the magic that is created when the AFPO and the audience combine their energies. I cannot wait to continue this great journey of celebrating the best of this Pops Orchestra genre!

Purchase your tickets now for Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season at the Hylton Center (12/9) and the Center for the Arts (12/10), and welcome Maestro Wilson to the podium.

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AFPO Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season Returns with Premieres by Mason Alum Vincent Oppido

Zoe Harr — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 19:06:23 +0000

AFPO Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season Returns with Premieres by Mason Alum Vincent Oppido Zoe Harr Tue, 11/30/2021 - 14:06

In This Story

Rick Davis

Prof. Anthony Maiello

Center for the Arts Tickets

Tis the season to be jolly! And it’s time to celebrate the holidays with the winter season’s favorite music once again! After a two-year hiatus in response to COVID-19, the American Festival Pops Orchestra (AFPO) returns to the Hylton Performing Arts Center and Center for the Arts at George Mason University this December with Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season. Rick Davis, Dean of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and Executive Director of the Hylton Performing Arts Center, shares, “AFPO is always a festive attraction and I'm particularly excited this year. It's such a thrill to stand on stage in front of the majestic sounds, Maestro Maiello’s baton keeping everything in order while the twinkle in his eyes keeps it festive.”

Founded and conducted by Dewberry School of Music professor Anthony Maiello, AFPO includes professional musicians from George Mason University’s music faculty, United States military bands, and regional orchestras from across the Northern Virginia and Metropolitan D.C. region. Its mission for the American pop music genre aims “to present the best of a treasured musical genre employing some of the country’s most distinguished performing artists.”

Maestro Maiello with Vincent Oppido on the Concert Hall stage in 2009.

Among the music featured in this exciting performance will be that of Vincent Oppido, a Mason Dewberry School of Music alumnus (BA in Music with a Minor in Jazz Studies (2008) and MM in Music with Concentration in Conducting (2010). Called “Vinny” by his friends at Mason, the young professional composer and musician has already garnered praiseworthy credits in the world of the performing arts, his music having been performed across the U.S. and abroad. Oppido’s AFPO connection rekindled this past summer when Maestro Maiello commissioned him to write a new arrangement for the AFPO’s traditional Hanukkah repertoire. Oppido happily agreed, additionally offering his new musical accompaniment for Yes, Virginia, a Christmastime narrative set to music that accompanies an 1897 newspaper editor’s response to an eight-year-old’s question: “Is there a Santa Claus?” Audiences will be in for a treat with Dean Davis’s live narration during the performances.

We had the incredible opportunity of conversing with Maestro Maiello and Oppido about the upcoming AFPO performances. Learn more about their collaboration in this exclusive Q&A:

Audiences are so excited to have the American Festival Pops Orchestra return this year! What are you most excited about?

MAIELLO: I'm thrilled to once again make music with AFPO and perform for such enthusiastic listeners, especially after this two-year break. I wish I could put into words the “magic” of music-making and how it deeply touches our hearts and souls as human beings. Sharing that magic with others musically is the best holiday gift ever.

OPPIDO: I’m really looking forward to reconnecting with so many old friends and colleagues. I’ve known Tony Maiello and Rick Davis for almost 20 years now, which is impossible, because I still feel like a current student! They’re both some of the most influential people in my life and has been great champions of music and the arts. It’s a wonderful gift for a composer to work with them. It really is something special to collaborate with both of these friends after so many years.

What makes this annual AFPO holiday concert so special each year?

MAIELLO: There is great joy in performing holiday music for everyone and getting everyone into the holiday spirit. Bryan Kidd, composer and arranger for AFPO, and I are like two kids in a candy store when it comes to planning the annual AFPO Holiday Concert program. There are so many musical selections to choose from but one of our favorite things to do is find a standard holiday piece and put a new “twist” on it. Music touches our hearts and transforms our minds and souls—especially holiday music—so being part of sharing it with others is incredibly gratifying.

OPPIDO: I absolutely adore Christmas music—I might go so far as to say some of my favorite music is from the Christmas holiday canon—so in the pandemic-driven height of a pretty crummy time, or just a generally stressful time of year, it feels good to share positive energy.

Can you share more about Vinny’s original pieces and how these came to be?

MAIELLO: I was looking for something different, a new arrangement for our traditional Hanukkah selections. I knew Vincent would create a masterpiece. He is a “bright shining star” composer in the Hollywood movie industry. In addition, Vincent also arranged the music for Yes, Virginia, which will also be performed in our December concert. It features narration by Rick Davis, as well as child narration that was pre-recorded by Sylvia London. She nailed the recording on her very first try! What a pro!

OPPIDO: Yes, Virginia is inspired by the famous 1897 Christmastime editorial “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.” In summary, a young girl wrote a letter to the New York Sun, asking the age-old question: Is Santa Claus real? The paper published a response in the form of an editorial—I’ve always loved this piece because of its warmth and loving optimism. As for the new Hanukkah medley, I reached out to a number of friends who celebrate Hanukkah, and collectively came up with six of the more popular songs, including the classic “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.” I sought to create an arrangement that perhaps pushed the harmonic and orchestral color boundaries a bit while, hopefully, honoring the original integrity of these beautiful songs.

Performance Information for American Festival Pops Orchestra: Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season
Hylton Performing Arts Center: Friday, December 10 at 8 p.m.
Center for the Arts at George Mason University: Saturday, December 11 at 8 p.m.

Evelyn Kiley, a longtime Friend of the Center for the Arts, contributed to this article.

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CFA

Hylton

Center for the Arts

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Announcing 2021-2022 Old Town Fairfax Restaurant Discounts!

Stacey Schwartz — Wed, 05 May 2021 15:53:50 +0000

Announcing 2021-2022 Old Town Fairfax Restaurant Discounts! Stacey Schwartz Wed, 05/05/2021 - 11:53

Eight Old Town Fairfax restaurants are pleased to offer a 10% discount to ticket buyers, subscribers, and Friends of the Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center. When dining, show your Friends membership pin or ticket stub (email tickets are okay) to receive the discount.

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Hylton Center

Center for the Arts

Partnering with Step Afrika!

Stacey Schwartz — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 19:13:20 +0000

Partnering with Step Afrika! Stacey Schwartz Fri, 12/11/2020 - 14:13

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Center for the Arts

Dance

Hylton Center

The Hylton Performing Arts Center has been working with artists to support them in their creative work during this time when they need it most. Over the past nine months, we have worked under strict safety protocols approved by George Mason University to successfully and safely produce performances for streamed viewing by audiences at a later date.

The ability to welcome this small group of artists into our spaces to record performances has been an inspiring endeavor, and among the groups who have filmed full-scale productions at the Hylton Center is Step Afrika!.

Washington D.C.-based Step Afrika!, the world’s first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, employs a polyrhythmic, percussive dance style, which is a celebrated tradition in Black fraternities and sororities; uses the body as an instrument; and integrates song, storytelling, and humor into the performance. This world-class dance ensemble recently filmed its Magical Musical Holiday Step Show in the Gregory Family Theater. As a 2020-2021 virtual Artist-in-Residence, Step Afrika! will bring its trademark percussive style to Hylton at Home through this highly-anticipated, pre-recorded holiday special available for viewing free-of-charge on Wednesday, December 16 at 7:30 p.m. Information about how to watch the event is shared on this Hylton Center webpage . One week prior to this family-friendly performance, a short video for families and children to learn the fundamentals of stepping will be available for viewing.

In spring 2021 Step Afrika! will participate in a variety of engagement events with Mason students and local community members. The residency will focus on expanding knowledge about the world of stepping; a stepping history and technique workshop with Mason School of Dance and National Pan-Hellenic Council students; and Step Afrika!’s engagement in a livestreamed digital conversation as part of Hylton at Home and Mason Arts at Home.

Before Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show, subscribers from the 19-20 season as well as current Friends of the Center for the Arts ($150+) and Friends of the Hylton Center ($150+) are invited to an exclusive Artists in Conversation featuring C. Brian Williams, Founder and Executive Director of Step Afrika!. Details for how to join the conversation will be emailed prior to the performance. Interested in special benefits such as these? Become a Friend.