MASON BANDS VMEA PERFORMANCE: Vivo
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VIVO
Friday, November 20, 2026 • 6:00PM
GRCC – Ballroom C | Virginia Music Educators Association Conference
vi·vo adjective \ ˈvē-(ˌ)vō
1. Performed or interpreted in a lively, spirited, or vigorous manner.
2. Characterized by vitality, energy, and animation.
3. Marked by freshness, brilliance, and expressive force.
VIVO celebrates the vitality, imagination, and expressive power of music being created in our own time. These works do not merely point toward the future; they inhabit the present with boldness, beauty, and conviction. They affirm that contemporary music is not a distant frontier, but a vibrant landscape filled with wonder, humanity, and endless possibility. Together, they proclaim a simple but profound truth: music is alive.
This performance holds special meaning for the Mason Wind Symphony, which was selected to appear as a Featured Concert Ensemble at the 2026 Virginia Music Educators Association Conference—the Commonwealth's most distinguished stage for school music ensembles. Such invitations recognize not only artistic excellence, but also a shared commitment to curiosity, craftsmanship, and the pursuit of meaningful musical experiences.
The evening begins with the Mason Symphonic Band, whose program offers three distinct voices within today's wind repertoire. Vaclav Nelhybel's *Festivo* radiates exuberance and celebration, its rhythmic vitality serving as a joyful invitation into the evening. In contrast, Nishant Amatya's *as the fog settles* unfolds with quiet introspection, immersing listeners in a world of mystery and delicate beauty. Benjamin Taylor's *Shattering Infinity* closes the set with unrelenting energy and soaring intensity, a work that reaches outward with imagination and boundless momentum.
The concert continues with a feature presentation by the combined South County High School and Hayfield Secondary School Bands under the direction of Kevin Engdahl and Robert Specketer, celebrating the spirit of collaboration and the enduring strength of music education throughout the Commonwealth.
The Mason Wind Symphony's portion of the program appropriately begins with Zhou Tian's "Vivo." Sparkling colors and propulsive rhythms burst forth with joyful vitality, giving the evening both its name and its spirit. Stacy Garrop's "Quicksilver" follows, featuring Mason Professor of Saxophone Dr. Connor Mikula in a dazzling display of virtuosity and brilliance, where agility and lyricism intertwine with breathtaking effect.
Viet Cuong's "John and Jim"offers a deeply personal meditation on love, memory, and the enduring power of human connection. Inspired by the lives of John Arthur and Jim Obergefell, whose devotion to one another helped bring about a landmark moment in American history, the work draws upon fragments of Pachelbel's *Canon in D*—music long associated with marriage and celebration. Through shimmering textures and melodies that gradually discover and embrace one another, Cuong creates a sound world filled with tenderness, longing, and quiet triumph. The result is both homage and renewal, a testament to the profound ways in which love leaves its echoes upon the world.
The evening concludes with James David's "Ghosts of the Old Year." inspired by James Weldon Johnson's poem of the same name and born from the composer's reflections on the changing South. Drawing upon the region's rich musical traditions—jazz, blues, and the resonant strains of the shape-note hymn,David confronts both conflict and hope with unflinching honesty. As the old year gives way to the new, the music acknowledges the burdens of the past while casting its gaze toward an uncertain but hopeful future. It reminds us that renewal seldom arrives without reflection, and that optimism often carries with it the echoes of what has come before.
In a world that often moves at breakneck speed, these composers invite us to pause, to listen, and to experience the remarkable vitality of our own moment. Their music is fresh, brilliant, and alive with expressive force. VIVO is more than a title—it is an affirmation that creativity continues to flourish, that beauty continues to emerge, and that the art of our time speaks with energy, humanity, and hope.
Friday, November 20, 2026 • 6:00PM
GRCC – Ballroom C | Virginia Music Educators Association Conference
vi·vo adjective \ ˈvē-(ˌ)vō
1. Performed or interpreted in a lively, spirited, or vigorous manner.
2. Characterized by vitality, energy, and animation.
3. Marked by freshness, brilliance, and expressive force.
VIVO celebrates the vitality, imagination, and expressive power of music being created in our own time. These works do not merely point toward the future; they inhabit the present with boldness, beauty, and conviction. They affirm that contemporary music is not a distant frontier, but a vibrant landscape filled with wonder, humanity, and endless possibility. Together, they proclaim a simple but profound truth: music is alive.
This performance holds special meaning for the Mason Wind Symphony, which was selected to appear as a Featured Concert Ensemble at the 2026 Virginia Music Educators Association Conference—the Commonwealth's most distinguished stage for school music ensembles. Such invitations recognize not only artistic excellence, but also a shared commitment to curiosity, craftsmanship, and the pursuit of meaningful musical experiences.
The evening begins with the Mason Symphonic Band, whose program offers three distinct voices within today's wind repertoire. Vaclav Nelhybel's *Festivo* radiates exuberance and celebration, its rhythmic vitality serving as a joyful invitation into the evening. In contrast, Nishant Amatya's *as the fog settles* unfolds with quiet introspection, immersing listeners in a world of mystery and delicate beauty. Benjamin Taylor's *Shattering Infinity* closes the set with unrelenting energy and soaring intensity, a work that reaches outward with imagination and boundless momentum.
The concert continues with a feature presentation by the combined South County High School and Hayfield Secondary School Bands under the direction of Kevin Engdahl and Robert Specketer, celebrating the spirit of collaboration and the enduring strength of music education throughout the Commonwealth.
The Mason Wind Symphony's portion of the program appropriately begins with Zhou Tian's "Vivo." Sparkling colors and propulsive rhythms burst forth with joyful vitality, giving the evening both its name and its spirit. Stacy Garrop's "Quicksilver" follows, featuring Mason Professor of Saxophone Dr. Connor Mikula in a dazzling display of virtuosity and brilliance, where agility and lyricism intertwine with breathtaking effect.
Viet Cuong's "John and Jim"offers a deeply personal meditation on love, memory, and the enduring power of human connection. Inspired by the lives of John Arthur and Jim Obergefell, whose devotion to one another helped bring about a landmark moment in American history, the work draws upon fragments of Pachelbel's *Canon in D*—music long associated with marriage and celebration. Through shimmering textures and melodies that gradually discover and embrace one another, Cuong creates a sound world filled with tenderness, longing, and quiet triumph. The result is both homage and renewal, a testament to the profound ways in which love leaves its echoes upon the world.
The evening concludes with James David's "Ghosts of the Old Year." inspired by James Weldon Johnson's poem of the same name and born from the composer's reflections on the changing South. Drawing upon the region's rich musical traditions—jazz, blues, and the resonant strains of the shape-note hymn,David confronts both conflict and hope with unflinching honesty. As the old year gives way to the new, the music acknowledges the burdens of the past while casting its gaze toward an uncertain but hopeful future. It reminds us that renewal seldom arrives without reflection, and that optimism often carries with it the echoes of what has come before.
In a world that often moves at breakneck speed, these composers invite us to pause, to listen, and to experience the remarkable vitality of our own moment. Their music is fresh, brilliant, and alive with expressive force. VIVO is more than a title—it is an affirmation that creativity continues to flourish, that beauty continues to emerge, and that the art of our time speaks with energy, humanity, and hope.
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Where is it happening?
Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N 3rd St,Richmond,VA,United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherMason Bands
