College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is offering free tickets to select performances across Mason Arts venues for federal employees and/or contractors impacted by the U.S. government shutdown.

Dr. Connor Mikula is an active performer and teacher in the Washington D.C. area and currently serves as a saxophonist with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C. He joined the organization in 2019 and has performed regularly at the White House as well as in concerts around the D.C. area and throughout the United States.

Originally from the great state of Michigan, he holds degrees from University of Michigan (MM Music Performance) and Michigan State University (DMA, BM Music Performance & Jazz Minor). Dr. Mikula has studied under Dr. Timothy McAllister, Prof. Joe Lulloff, and Dr. Jonathan Nichol.

Avery Shippen, a University Scholar, was recognized with the Peraton Scholarship in National Security for her innovative, multi-disciplinary approach.

Throughout a career that has spanned new works for orchestras, chamber ensembles, solo performers, and multi-institution commissions, Reinkemeyer has built a reputation for music that defies traditional expectations. Her works often weave together unexpected elements—soundscapes inspired by nature, compositional structures drawn from scientific data, and reflections on urgent social issues like environmental crises and justice movements.

Rebekah Wingert-Jabi grew up in Reston, Virginia, a place built on the belief that dignity, connection, and community could stand at the center of progress. That vision, established by the town's founder Robert Simon, was not just an idea Wingert-Jabi grew up hearing about. It was a value system she carried with her into the world.

Federico Frum, BA Art and Visual Technology ’05, believes in the power of art to bring people together. Known professionally as MasPaz—Spanish for “more peace”—Frum has spent his career fusing activism and creativity, using bold street murals, community engagement, and cultural storytelling to spread a message of unity.

Dr. Patrick LeStrange, Adjunct Applied Faculty in Viola at the Dewberry School of Music at George Mason University, earned the Doctor of Music Interpretation and Master of Music from l’Université de Montréal, as well as a Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. His primary teachers included Roberta Crawford, Victoria Chiang, Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot, as well as string pedagogy studies with Rebecca Henry.

Christopher Kardambikis never set out to create work that would sit behind glass or live in private collections. Instead, he found his voice and purpose through publishing zines, artist books, and prints—things people could hold, trade, collect, and care about without needing a trust fund.

For Boris Willis, the future of games has always been bigger than pixels and code. Long before the rise of virtual production and interactive storytelling, Willis was blending technology, dance, and design into new forms of creative expression.

Subscribers to the 2025–26 season of Great Performances at Mason and Family Series performances at the Center for the Arts unlock exclusive access to Special Events, including An Evening with Darren Criss and Fairfax Symphony Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma.