Check Out the Holiday Shows at George Mason

Fairfax County Public Schools boast some of the best choral, instrumental, and theatrical programs in the nation, and consequently local parents are likely to have attended more concerts and plays in the past few years than many enjoy in a lifetime. Nevertheless, for all the superior music you may have enjoyed thanks to FCPS, the student performances at George Mason University show the skill which can be acquired with age and high-level university training.

If you have not attended one of these student performances recently, there's treasure waiting for you. To take one of many possible examples, recently the Mason Opera and Chamber Orchestra presented "A Tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Weber" at the university's Harris Theater.

Simply put: The music was breathtaking as Dennis Layendecker, the Director of the School of Music, conducted the Mason Chamber Orchestra. The quality of the orchestra's performance was equivalent to those which are offered at the Kennedy Center.

The choir was led by Patricia Miller, University Professor of Music and the director of Mason's Vocal Studies program. Songs from "Oklahoma," "Carousel," "South Pacific," "Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Evita" carried the audience to other worlds. When the singers filed out of the theater to join their parents, friends and many well-wishers, they had big smiles on their faces. Many were still humming the melodies.

Miller commented that the vocal students had become enchanted by the Rogers and Hammerstein selections — something she hadn't expected, as the music might well appear a little "old-fashioned" to 21st century vocalists.

Fortunately, this captivating operatic presentation was not the last of the semester. Audiences still have many chances to experience and appreciate the talented music students at George Mason University.

These young men and women are highly trained; their performances are polished and professional. The venue is convenient, and parking is inexpensive (either free in the K Lot or low-cost in the garage adjacent to Harris Theater and the de Laski Building). Many of the events themselves are free or bargain-priced: What more can a music lover ask?

The following concerts will be offered in late November and early December. You won't be disappointed. For more information, please visit the Department of Music's website.

Upcoming Events:

Percussion and Composition Workshop Concert, December 2 at 8 p.m., de Laski Performing Arts Building Room 3001

Mason Opera -- Amahl and the Night Visitor, December 3 and December 4 at 3 p.m. and at 8 p.m., Harris Theater

Ceremony of Carols featuring Combined Choirs, December 5 at 7 p.m., de Laski Performing Arts Building Room 3001

Flutetopia Flute Choir, December 7 at 8 p.m., Concert Hall

Graduate Student Conductors Concert, featuring the Wind Symphony, December 8 at 8 p.m., Concert Hall

Mason Symphony Orchestra and Choruses: Holiday Concert, December 12 at 7 p.m., Concert Hall