TENTATIVE DATES:
June 28 - July 11, 2013*
Application Fee
$100
Program Fee
$4,175
The Program Fee includes tuition and program expenses. Click on Program Fee for details.
International airfare and personal expenses are not included in the Program Fee and are the responsibility of the participant.
Eligibility
This program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, including students who do not attend George Mason University.
Credits
Undergraduate:
Earn 3 credits in Music 101, which fulfills the General Education requirement for Fine Arts for Mason students.
Honors 122
Housing
Hotels
CONTACT: Denise Elles-Mdahuar via email or by calling 703.993.2155 or toll free at 866.468.1243. The toll free number does not accept calls from the 703 or 571 area code.
Downloadable Documents
Faculty Info
Mark Bergman

Fulfill your Fine Arts General Education requirement while living La Dolce Vita (the sweet life) in Italy’s most beautiful medieval city! Feast your eyes on Giotto de Bondone’s world-famous frescos. Walk in the footsteps of the ancient Umbri and Saint Francis. Enjoy gelato on the Piazza del Comune in the shadows of the glorious Temple of Minerva.
Rehearsal Inside of Santa Maria Maggorie
The program's academic director Mark Bergman performing his composition Alban Arthan (Runes of Newgrange) at the Kennedy Center.
Participants are affiliated with resident music festival, Assisi Performing Arts, which includes a chamber orchestra, resident chorus, and the world-renowned GRAMMY-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Students receive free admission to all festival events and unprecedented access to the performers. MUSI-101 (Introduction to Classical Music) is taught by Professor Mark Bergman through exposure to live music concerts (not recordings) taking place throughout the city.

View of Assisi from Mount Subasio
Participants arrive in Assisi the day before program events begin. Two days of sightseeing in Rome conclude the program, and participants depart for home the next day.
academic Director
Double bassist, composer, and educator, Professor Mark Bergman currently serves on the faculty of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
He is a member of several regional orchestras in the DC area and also performs with Assisi Performing Arts in Italy and the Britt Festival Orchestra in Oregon. In 2006, Mark founded Virginia Virtuosi, a string trio dedicated to innovative chamber music programs and arts education. The ensemble maintains a very active performing schedule, won the first Yale University Alumni Ventures Award in 2008, and was cited by Fairfax Connections for “turning classical music cool.”
Prof. Bergman's orchestral compositions have been performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (New York), Mato Grosso Chamber Orchestra (Cuiaba, Brazil), Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles. Oxford University Press recently published some of his educational work contextualizing American popular music for college-level classrooms.
Dates: June 28 to July 11, 2013*
You should plan to leave the United States at least one day prior to the program start date to arrive in Assisi, Italy for the first day of the program. You can schedule your return to the United States from Rome, Italy for the last day of the program or choose to travel independently.
Do not purchase international airfare until you are advised by your Program Officer.
Program Fee
$4,360The Center for Global Education Program Fee includes:
- Tuition
- Hotel accommodations
- All breakfasts and dinners while in Assisi
- Excursion to Rome
- In-country transportation associated with program visits
- Free admission to all concerts and master classes presented by the Assisi Music Festival
- Pre-departure orientation
- Emergency medical insurance, including medical evacuation and repatriation
Scholarships are available to George Mason students. George Mason students can click here to download the CGE Global Perspectives scholarship application. Mason students may also use financial aid to cover a program's cost. Discuss this with your financial aid counselor early in your study abroad planning process. If you are not a George Mason University student, check with your study abroad office or office of financial aid to learn more about how to cover the cost of your study abroad.
How to apply: Consult the How to Apply section for detailed instructions. Start by completing the online application. Pay the $100 application fee.
Note that all supplemental documents are required by the application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Contact the Program Officer for further application forms and instructions specific to your program.
*CGE reserves the right to make changes to a program in light of currency fluctuations, changing security and safety conditions, or any other unforeseen circumstances.

