George Mason University's Center for the Arts

Paintings, Sculpture and Installations

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 21, 6 to 8 PM

Featuring the GMU Wind Symphony

Christopher Zimmerman, Conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin
Free ConcerTalk at 7:00 p.m., Concert begins at 8:00 p.m.

On January 23rd, Zimmerman will pay homage to the anniversary year of Samuel Barber's birth, with Barber's Violin Concerto combined with Haydn's Symphony No. 92 and Sibelius' Symphony No. 1.  Zimmerman will give the pre-concert lectures for both the January and March concerts, and will write the program notes to explain his ideas and thoughts about Sibelius as a composer.  When asked why he chose Sibelius as the first composer for his mini-series, Zimmerman explained, "His music is other-worldly, modern, yet accessible.  It's quite challenging to play, and interesting to hear.  I am interested in exploring the atmosphere created by playing this music, particularly in counterpoint with the other pieces on the programs in January and March."

HAYDN: Symphony No. 92 Oxford
BARBER: Violin Concerto
Augustin Hadelich, violin
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 1

Augustin Hadelich photo by Rosalie O'Connor

Stanley Curtis, trumpet
Tia Wortham, soprano
Ben Keseley, piano

The Band of the Irish Guards and Royal Regiment of Scotland brings all of the pomp and grandeur of the British Empire to the Center’s stage. A gifted group of musicians was gathered by Queen Victoria in 1900 to commemorate the bravery of the Irish Regiments, and quickly gained a reputation for excellence. It was the band’s responsibility to inspire an esprit de corps among the troops, and it traveled extensively throughout both World Wars to give morale-boosting performances for those on active service. Now renowned across the globe, these regiments uplift spirits with rousing marches, sailor ballads, and of course, folk songs from their native Ireland. This incredible ensemble is a delight for the whole family!

Single Tickets are on sale now!

Myths, Archetypes, Campbell and Jung: An Actor’s Tools in Creating the Arc of Character

Edward Gero
Associate Professor, Theater

The processes and approaches to “becoming a character” for performance are myriad and can be even mysterious.  Actor and professor, Edward Gero, explores an approach to interpreting and creating character inspired by Jungian archetypes and mythical storytelling patterns identified by Joseph Campbell in his seminal work “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.”  Tracing his process in his performances in King Lear and portraying The Bastard in Shakespeare’s King John, as well as his current preparations for the title role of Sweeney Todd, professor Gero will discuss his personal approach to mining, identifying and incorporating mythical and archetypal patterns from the text that speak to audiences in both conscious and unconscious ways.

Daniel Spalding
Music Director Finalist