George Mason University's Center for the Arts

Ah, Wilderness!

The George Mason University Players, committed to bringing the excitement of live theater to the Mason community and the region, produce a wide variety of theatrical performances, from new plays to classics, featuring talented Mason students on stage and behind the scenes, under the direction of faculty or guest artists.

 Kelly Ker-Hackleman, Piano and Martin Hackleman, Horn

For more than 40 years, this remarkable sextet has maintained their place at the apex of a cappella singing, delighting audiences around the world with their incomparable musicianship, charm, and wit. One of Britain’s great musical institutions, they are counted among the world’s most elite classical performers, and celebrated for their commitment to perfection in blend, balance, and intonation. “Still unmatched for their musicality and sheer ability to entertain,” lauds The Times of London. Renowned for their versatility, The King’s Singers have an impressive and diverse repertoire that encompasses Medieval music to Renaissance masterpieces, lieder to folk, to pop and jazz. “The King’s Singers have the same microscopic perfection one sometimes hears from purely instrumental chamber musicians.” (The Washington Post)

Single Tickets are on sale now!

“Here is bravura dancing at its greatest,” raves The New York Times about this renowned folk ensemble that is known for its masterful dance prowess, infectious enthusiasm, and vibrantly colored costumes. Founded in 1937 by Pavlo Virsky and Mykola Bolotov, the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company has toured around the world, celebrating the passion and beauty of its native Ukraine—the wisdom of its people and their folk traditions—with humor and optimism. These professionally trained artists from Kiev perform spirited dances reflecting the geographic and cultural diversity of Ukraine. The male Cossack warriors demonstrate their awe-inspiring acrobatic skills and impressive swordplay, while female dancers in exquisite finery glide gracefully across the stage. This incredible company leaves audiences spellbound!

Single Tickets are on sale now!

Due to Artist request, the Pre-Performance Discussion for Sunday's performance of Circo Aereo has been shifted to a Post-Performance Discussion with the artists and will take place inside the Concert Hall immediately following the performance. All ticket holding patrons are welcome and encouraged to attend. We apologize for any inconvenience.

“A sparkling tribute to the circus.” (Le Figaro) This enchanting “theater without words” from Finland is widely recognized throughout Europe as a pioneer of the New Circus, and makes its American debut this season. Smart, imaginative, and inventive, Circo Aereo mixes time-honored circus arts, such as juggling and aerial work, with innovative cabaret theater, masterful movement, and charming humor. The company’s latest and most famous work, Espresso, has mesmerized audiences and critics alike with its combination of traditional and contemporary circus arts with sidewalk performance. Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat called the work “a treasure chest filled with beautiful sights, meticulous efforts and inventive surprises.”

Single Tickets are on sale now!

Large Scale Prints

Opening Reception: Tuesday, November 10, 6 to 8 PM

What Happens When Water Is Cleaner? Tracking Transitions in Global Health

Kathryn H. Jacobsen
Assistant Professor, Global & Community Health


Increasing access to clean drinking water is one of the most important ways to reduce child mortality and to promote population health, but it is not as easy as just drilling new wells. Clean water alone does not necessarily improve child health unless it is accompanied by other interventions. Over time clean water opens up a new set of health concerns as immunity to waterborne infections drops and the risk of outbreaks rises. Using waterborne disease as an example, Jacobsen will describe the shifting mix of threats to community health that are occurring with development and globalization and will raise important questions about planning now for appropriate responses to anticipated health transitions.

With special guests: GMU Percussion Ensemble

George Mason University Veteran’s Day Luncheon is being held from 11:45 am to 1:30 pm in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall Lobby.  All student, staff, and faculty veterans of George Mason are encouraged to join us for a business casual lunch in celebration of Veteran’s Day.  We are honored to have LTG (R) Mick Kicklighter as the guest speaker.  Please RSVP to CPT Nathan Whitten at nwhitten@gmu.edu or (703) 993-2709.

Featuring the GMU Jazz Ensemble and Combos

This event is scheduled from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

Long Yu, conductor
Di Wu, piano

Known as “the best in the Far East,” the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra was the first orchestra of its kind in Asia and is credited with the development of Chinese symphonic music. Formed in 1879, this ensemble introduces Chinese orchestral works to audiences around the world, while bringing the finest classical music of the Western World to the Chinese people. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Long Yu, the orchestra embraced a new era of its history with the recording of music for the Grammy Award-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Chinese-born Di Wu, winner of the 2009 Juilliard's William Petschek Piano Debut Recital Award and recipient of one of the coveted prizes at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, joins the orchestra to perform the daunting Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff. The program also includes China Air Suite by Bao Yuankai and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture.

Single Tickets are on sale now!

Matthew Sidney Hazelwood
Music Director Finalist
Guest cellist Victoria Bass

Chopin the Patriot

Jeffrey Siegel continues his yearlong celebration of Chopin with an exploration of Chopin’s love for his homeland of Poland. In the wake of the November Uprising, as the Polish people revolted against the Russian forces, Chopin emerged as a national bard, writing music honoring his country and the heroism of its people. In this “concert with commentary,” Mr. Siegel performs three Polonaises: the tender G Minor, the brooding C Minor, and the ever popular, heroic A-Flat, as well as several buoyant and poignant Mazurkas.

Single Tickets are on sale now!

This event is scheduled to last from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Described by The New York Times as “a classically trained, modernly hip troupe,” this illustrious British/American touring company presents Shakespeare’s classic comedy. Set in a period of revolution in France, As You Like It tells the story of power hungry men exiling their brothers, girls portraying guys, and love found in unexpected places. Shakespeare’s comic brilliance is wrapped in gender-confused, unrequited love, and Aquila infuses the play with their unique blend of fun and entertaining theatricality. This production is completely faithful to Shakespeare, and yet perfectly accessible to modern audiences. The New York Times described one of Aquila’s previous Shakespearean comedies as “Gleefully engaging ... almost unbearable fun.”

Single Tickets are on sale now!

This event is scheduled from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Christopher Zimmerman, Conductor
Chu-Fang Huang, piano
Free ConcerTalk at 7:00 p.m., Concert begins at 8:00 p.m.

The November 21st Masterworks concert represents quite a contrast from the first two.  The focus is on lively, dance rhythms from Brazil, France, and Spain, combined with the influential and entertaining rhythms of American jazz used by Gershwin in his Rhapsody in Blue.  In addition to the Gershwin, Chu-Fang Huang, piano, will also perform the Ravel Piano Concerto.

"Throughout the performance ... you sensed the excitement of a young pianist who could hardly wait to get her turn at it. She played with richly mellow tone, vivid colorings and Romantic flair ... Ms. Huang gave a refreshingly direct, honest and sensitive account." - The New York Times

FALLA: The Three-Cornered Hat, Suites 1 and 2
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
Chu-Fang Huang, piano
RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G
GINASTERA: Estancia

TFA returns to theSPACE in downtown Fairfax on November 21 at 8:00pm. With a focus on community, we will continue to celebrate a new presence in Old Town Fairfax as we offer a staged reading of The Rivers and Ravines, written and directed by TFA Co-Artistic Director Heather McDonald, and featuring a cast of professionals, students and members of our community. The cast of 25 actors range in age from 9 to 82.

In 1988, the Washington Post hailed The Rivers and Ravines as the 'Our Town' for the '80's. Set during the farm crisis of the early 1980's, the play celebrates the hope and spirituality of a community facing economic hardship. TFA's revisiting of The Rivers and Ravines is sure to resonate as a modern parable for our time.

The evening will include a pre-show reception and a brief discussion with Ms. McDonald after the reading.

TFA will also collect non-pershable food items at the door to benefit Food For Others of Fairfax.

Tickets are Pay-what-you-can at the door and are available in advance at the Center for the Arts box office.

theSPACE is located at 3955 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030, in the Old Town Plaza retail complex . Free parking is available in the underground garage, accessible from either Chain Bridge Road or University Drive. Pedestrian entrance is on North Street, next to the fountain.

Large Scale Prints

Opening Reception: Tuesday, November 10, 6 to 8 PM

Contemporary and Classical Chinese Art Performance Held at the Center for the Arts.

“ArtBeijing 2009” represents the new productivity power of Chinese contemporary and classical Art, the visionary artistic viewpoints of Asia and the unique context of Chinese heritage.  Two top performance companies, Beijing Dance Drama Opera and China National Acrobatic Troupe will present their best shows. Join us to experience the new arts and future inspiration. The show is cosponsored by the Confucius Institute at George Mason, Washington-Beijing Cultural Exchange Association, Mu Ping Dance Performance Art Troupe, Association of Chinese Students and Scholars, Association of Chinese American Professors at George Mason University.

“The only American chorus able to compete on equal terms with the great (and very old) choirs of Europe.” (Philadelphia Inquirer) This spectacular and elegant holiday concert is a cherished tradition at the Center for the Arts. Renowned for its flawless technique, Chanticleer produces a pure, radiant sound that fills our concert hall with rapturous melody and crystal-clear articulation. This enchanting program of holiday music spans across the globe and centuries, mingling Medieval and Renaissance music with American spirituals, 13th century motets, and beloved Christmas carols. The New Yorker described their enormously popular album, “Sing We Christmas” as “one of those rare holiday albums good enough to listen to all year round.”

Single Tickets are on sale now!