Jeff Goldblum, VOCES8, Music From The Sole and More Set for George Mason University's Center for the Arts

This September and October 2026, the Center for the Arts at George Mason University launches its 2026–27 Great Performances at Mason series with dance, theater, and music performances from around the world, including the annual ARTS by George! benefit event and one of this season's Mason Artists-in-Residence. Additionally, students across disciplines from George Mason's College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) showcase their talents at the start of the school year, and the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra present concert programs as part of their 2026–27 seasons.

The Center for the Arts hosts the 21st annual ARTS by George!, headlined by celebrated actor and jazz pianist Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra on October 3. The special event supports College of Visual and Performing Arts student scholarships, the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts.

The 2026–27 season of Great Performances at Mason officially begins on September 26 with Mason Artist-in-Residence Music From The Sole, featuring I Didn't Come to Stay, a tap dance and live music performance that incorporates influences from samba, Afro-Cuban, jazz, passinho (Brazilian funk), and jazz. Pianist Jeffrey Siegel's popular Keyboard Conversations returns with a program of Beethoven and Schubert on October 11. Britain's Grammy Award-nominated a cappella ensemble VOCES8 performs a repertory ranging from pop and jazz to classical compositions on October 17. And, in its Center for the Arts debut on October 24, Compagnie HERVE KOUBI presents Sol Invictus, a blend of contemporary and urban dance, capoeira, and martial arts drawn from Algerian and Mediterranean culture.

Along with the Center's Great Performances at Mason programs, students from George Mason University's College of Visual and Performing Arts launch the new academic year with a variety of performances. The School of Theater opens the season with The Originals! 2026, an evening of original new works by students, on September 11. The School of Theater also presents a production of the musical Urinetown, with direction by Erin Gardiner and musical direction by Joe Walsh, from October 28–November 1. Events from the Dewberry School of Music include the Grand Piano Celebration 2026 on September 27; concerts by: Mason Bands on October 5, Mason Choirs on October 13, Mason Symphony Orchestra on October 21, and Mason Jazz Ensemble on October 22; and the Faculty Artist Showcase Recital 2026 on October 25.

The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Christopher Zimmerman, kicks off its 2026–27 season on October 10 with a program that includes a regional premiere. The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), as part of its 2026–27 Classical Season (on sale to the public on August 28), will perform fall concerts at the Center for the Arts beginning on October 1 with Noseda conducts Exotic Tales, a program of three iconic works led by NSO Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. Then on October 15 and 16, the NSO performs Josefowicz & Adams: Scheherazade Two Point Oh!, as violinist Leila Josefowicz joins composer and conductor John Adams for a program including his arrangements of Piazzolla's tangos and his work Scheherazade.2.

Tickets for performances at the Center for the Arts are on sale to the general public and available for purchase in person at the Center for the Arts Ticket Office (open Monday–Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer, and Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. after August 22), by calling 703-993-2787, or through the Center for the Arts website (cfa.gmu.edu).

A full schedule of events for September and October 2026 is below. For full program descriptions and ticket information, please visit the event pages hyperlinked.

Unless otherwise noted, performances will take place at the Center for the Arts located at 4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Programs, artists, and dates are subject to change. For the most up-to-date programming information, please visit the Center for the Arts' website.

October 2026 Special Event

ARTS by George! Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra

• Saturday, October 3 at 8:30 p.m.
• $145, $105, $75

September and October 2026 Great Performances at Mason Series

The Great Performances at Mason Series brings artists from around the country and the world to the Center for the Arts Concert Hall in Northern Virginia.

Mason Artist-in-Residence: Music From The Sole — I Didn't Come to Stay

• Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.
• $60, $52, $38; half-price for youth through Grade 12

Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel: Glorious Musical Jewels – Beethoven and Schubert

• Sunday, October 11 at 7 p.m.
• $60, $52, $38; half-price for youth through Grade 12

VOCES8

• Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m.
• $65, $55, $45; half-price for youth through Grade 12

Compagnie HERVÉ KOUBI — Sol Invictus

• Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
• $65, $55, $45; half-price for youth through Grade 12

September and October 2026 George Mason University Student and Faculty Performances and Events at the Center for the Arts

George Mason University's School of Theater — The Originals! 2026

• Friday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, September 12 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• $15

George Mason University's Dewberry School of Music — Grand Piano Celebration 2026

• Sunday, September 27 at 3 p.m.
• $25 General Public, $20 Senior, $10 Student

George Mason University's Dewberry School of Music — Mason Bands Concert: West Side Story

• Monday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m.
• $20 General Public, $15 Senior, $10 Student

George Mason University's Dewberry School of Music — Mason Choirs Concert: Celtic Voices: A Choral Journey Through Ireland and Scotland

• Tuesday, October 13 at 7:30 p.m.
• $20 General Public, $15 Senior, $10 Student

George Mason University's Dewberry School of Music — Mason Symphony Orchestra Concert: Beginnings & Triumphs

• Wednesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m.
• $20 General Public, $15 Senior, $10 Student

George Mason University's Dewberry School of Music — Mason Jazz Ensemble Concert: Fall 2026

• Thursday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m.
• $20 General Public, $15 Senior, $10 Student

George Mason University's Dewberry School of Music — Faculty Artist Showcase Recital 2026

• Sunday, October 25 at 3 p.m.
• Free and open to the public

George Mason University's School of Theater — Urinetown

• By Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann
• Directed by Erin Gardiner
• Musical Direction by Joe Walsh
• Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 31 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1 at 2 p.m.
• Harris Theatre
• The October 30 performance will include a post-show talkback, ASL interpretation and audio description.
• $35 General Public, $15 Student, Staff, Senior and Group

September and October 2026 Other Performances and Events at the Center for the Arts

National Symphony Orchestra — Noseda Conducts Exotic Tales

• Gianandrea Noseda, conductor
• Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m.
• $97, $68, $42

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra — Rachmaninoff & Saxophone Noir

• Christopher Zimmerman, conductor
• Saturday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m.
• $75, $65, $40

National Symphony Orchestra — Josefowicz & Adams: Scheherazade Two Point Oh!

• John Adams, conductor
• Leila Josefowicz, violin
• Thursday, October 15 at 7 p.m.
• Friday, October 16 at 8 p.m.
• $97, $68, $42
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