Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

We are an inclusive community with the common goal to inspire artistic and academic excellence as an intrinsic element of a balanced education within an atmosphere of discipline, lifelong learning, and service within the university, local, national, and international communities.

George Mason Choir students and Dr. Lisa Billingham perform at Carnegie Hall!Front row L-R: Sammy Flamenco, Dr. Billingh...
05/28/2026

George Mason Choir students and Dr. Lisa Billingham perform at Carnegie Hall!

Front row L-R: Sammy Flamenco, Dr. Billingham
Second row L-R: Pragyaa Singh, Makeda Phipps, Annie French,
Julia Messner
Back row: Ashton Mattos, Kaylee Cobb, Ethan Yearwood, Chris Hewitt, Roberto Solito-Vasquez

Ten George Mason Choir students and Dr. Lisa Billingham performed the Duruflé Requiem with the Choral Arts Society of Washington and other choirs from around the country on the stage of Carnegie Hall on Tuesday evening, May 26, 2026, under conductor Dr. Marie Bucoy-Calavan. The singers spent three days of rehearsal and gave one performance. This was an amazing opportunity for our students and for most, was their first experience singing on the stage on the Stern Hall/ Perlman Stage.

Mason Choirs is thankful for the support of George Mason University and the many donors who made this trip possible.

In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Issue 178, we are thrilled to announce the Dewberry School of Music Fall...
05/28/2026

In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Issue 178, we are thrilled to announce the Dewberry School of Music Fall 2026 Concert Series! Mark your calendar now for our marvelous opening concert—the Grand Piano Celebration on September 27. We have music at Mason throughout the summer with many outstanding camps. Join us for our George Mason Jazz Camp free concerts June 22-26 at 3.30 pm. The Mason composition and saxophone studios are proud to debut a new collaboration, the Mikula Composition Award, that recognizes excellence in composition studies and collaboration at George Mason University. We are pleased to announce this year's winner: Chris Bell (MM in Composition 2026). Congratulations to members of our Mason Choirs who performed at Carnegie Hall last weekend! We are thrilled that our Mason Wind Symphony has been selected to perform at the 2026 Virginia Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference. Thanks to our fabulous Friends of Music at Mason for their enthusiastic support of our Dewberry School of Music students and faculty throughout the entire year. Read the full issue at the link below.

https://t.e2ma.net/webview/iee6gi/6e03c714561d499f136b47c555d6aec0

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We are excited to announce that Prof. Fred Marcellus, trumpet, will be joining our Dewberry School of Music, effective F...
05/22/2026

We are excited to announce that Prof. Fred Marcellus, trumpet, will be joining our Dewberry School of Music, effective Fall semester 2026. Please join us in welcoming this exceptional musician to our Dewberry School of Music adjunct applied faculty in trumpet.

Prof. Fred Marcellus is a native of the Washington, D.C. area and is an active teacher, clinician, adjudicator, soloist, and freelance trumpet player. He holds a Master's Degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor's Degree from Wichita State University.

He is joining the faculty of George Mason University as an Adjunct Applied Professor of Trumpet, effective fall semester 2026. He is also on the faculty of George Washington University where he is the instructor of Trumpet and teaches privately for the Washington Brass Institute.

From 1991-2000, he was a Soloist and Assistant Principal Cornet of the “President’s Own” Marine Band and is presently finishing his military career as the First Sergeant with the Band of the Nation’s Capital, the 257th Army Band with the DC National Guard. As a soloist, he performed over 130 solos with the US Marine Band on four national tours. He was a featured soloist with the American Ballet Theatre in NY and with the Wichita Symphony and at the Mid West Band Clinic and NY Brass Conference.

In the Washington D.C. area, he has performed with many groups including the National Symphony, Washington Opera Orchestra, Washington Chorus, Master Chorale of Washington, the Choral Arts Society, the Alexandria Symphony, the Chesapeake Orchestra, the Wolf Trap Opera, the Alexandria Symphony, the National Philharmonic, the Chesapeake Orchestra, the Virginia Grand Military Band, and the Capital Wind Symphony. Additionally, he has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Baltimore Opera, the Chautauqua Symphony (N.Y.), the Wichita Ballet Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, the Eugene Symphony, the Heidelberg Opera Orchestra in West Germany, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the University of Maryland Faculty Brass Quintet, the Missouri Chamber Orchestra, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Eastman Brass Quintet, and a member of the Disney All-American College Orchestra.

He is on numerous recordings with the US Marine Band, including a solo feature on the Marine Band’s “On Tour” CD. He has recorded with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Washington Choral Arts Society, and on live broadcasts with the National Symphony, Washington Opera Orchestra, the Wichita Symphony, and the Chautauqua Symphony.

We are excited to announce that Dr. Max Crofton, tubist, will be joining our Dewberry School of Music, effective August ...
05/22/2026

We are excited to announce that Dr. Max Crofton, tubist, will be joining our Dewberry School of Music, effective August 2026. Please join us in welcoming this exceptional musician to our Dewberry School of Music adjunct applied faculty in tuba.

Dr. Max Crofton was appointed Adjunct Applied Professor of Tuba at George Mason University effective August 2026. Dr. Crofton is currently a tubist with The United States Air Force Band’s Ceremonial Brass in Washington D.C., a position he assumed in December 2023. Prior to this, Dr. Crofton served as a tubist with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America from 2020 to 2023, where he showcased his talents in the Concert Band, Ceremonial Band, and Airlifter Brass Quintet.

Previously, Dr. Crofton served as Principal Tubist for the Round Top Festival Orchestra and Disneyland All-American College Band. Furthermore, he was honored to become the first tubist to win the Paducah Symphony Orchestra (Kentucky) Concerto Competition in 2016, affording him the opportunity to solo with the orchestra that same year. Additionally, Dr. Crofton has performed with many orchestras and wind bands, to include performances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, and Royal Canadian Air Force Band.

Dr. Crofton has a passion for music education and has held positions as Associate Instructor at Indiana University’s Jacobs Schools of Music, Adjunct Professor at Lincoln Trail College (Illinois), in addition to maintaining an active private studio for over a decade. Dr. Crofton also serves as the tuba instructor for Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Preparatory program where he teaches private lessons to the tuba studio. Dr. Crofton is an active clinician and has taught dozens of masterclasses at universities and programs across the US and abroad; he also regularly judges competitions and events for the International Tuba/Euphonium Association and frequently participates in events at The United States Army Band’s Tuba/Euphonium Workshop in Washington, DC.

Dr. Crofton holds a Doctor of Music in Music Literature/Performance and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, as well as a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Murray State University. He was recently honored to receive the “Top 22 Under 40” alumni award from MSU. Dr. Crofton has been mentored by esteemed teachers such as Dan Perantoni, Ray Conklin, and Matt Hightower.

In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Issue 177, congratulations to our amazing Class of 2026 Dewberry School ...
05/21/2026

In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Issue 177, congratulations to our amazing Class of 2026 Dewberry School of Music Graduates! Kudos to our music graduates who have been selected for the Outstanding Achievement Awards and for the Presser Scholar Award! How proud we are of our Dewberry School of Music artists! We bid a fond farewell to Dr. David Porter (tuba) who has served our brass faculty with distinction for many years. We give a warm welcome to two new adjunct brass faculty who will be joining us in August: Dr. Max Crofton (tuba) and Prof. Fred Marcellus (trumpet). Thanks to our fabulous Friends of Music at Mason for their "Snack Attack" during the music juries (performance final exams)! Read the full issue at the link below.

https://t.e2ma.net/webview/m9gwgi/bd66c259431ed198b46bf685272815ff

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In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Commencement Edition. Congratulations to the Dewberry School of Music gr...
05/13/2026

In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Commencement Edition. Congratulations to the Dewberry School of Music graduates of the Class of 2026! On behalf of our entire music faculty and staff, we offer our sincere congratulations to our 56 outstanding graduates of the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music of George Mason University! We wish our graduates every success as they help make this world a better place through the sharing of their extraordinary gifts of music. Read the full issue at the link below.

https://t.e2ma.net/webview/yuddgi/3e101e22b1e506038d41f624c8b05536

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In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Issue 176, we wrap up this semester with our Honors Recital on May 9th (...
05/08/2026

In our latest issue of Notes from the Director: Issue 176, we wrap up this semester with our Honors Recital on May 9th (free admission) and our student recitals. We also would like to congratulate our Mason Vocal Studies student winners at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Region NATS Voice Competition! We are so thankful to our talented students and dedicated faculty for another wonderful semester! Read the full issue at the link below.

https://t.e2ma.net/webview/a445fi/e5927ce5aad5eae14aceb4e7adab76f7

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05/06/2026

Dear Dewberry School of Music Family,

Our Friends of Music at Mason are providing a "Snack Attack" for our Dewberry School of Music students, faculty, and staff today, Wednesday, May 6th and Thursday, May 7th from 10:30 am - 3 pm in the deLaski lobby. Please feel free to stop by for snacks and to thank our Friends of Music board members, who do so much to support our Dewberry School of Music students throughout the year.

Warmest Regards,
Dr. Linda A. Monson

Please join us on Saturday, May 9th, 2026, for The Dewberry School of Music's Honors Recital in the Center for the Arts ...
05/04/2026

Please join us on Saturday, May 9th, 2026, for The Dewberry School of Music's Honors Recital in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall.

The Honors Recital is a premier recital opportunity for Dewberry School of Music's exceptional student performers. These outstanding student soloists and chamber musicians have been selected via audition for this prestigious Dewberry School of Music Honors Recital performance.

Featuring:
Jiayi Chen, piano (Florence Price)
Kaylee Cobb, voice (Massenet)
Youngbin Ko, violin (Debussy)
Annie Li, flute (Marais)
Carson Ross, tuba (Persichetti)
Kai Shi and Ying Yang, duo-piano (Kapustin)
Congkai Wang, piano (Chopin)
Raven Wilson, marimba; Suyuan Carrasco, violin (Bach)
Shuying Zhou, piano (Scarlatti)

Admission is free and open to the public.

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Address

4400 University Drive MS 3E3
Fairfax, VA
22030

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+17039931380

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