CVPA Alumni

MacKenzie Cahill

Nafisa Ferdous — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:14:03 +0000

MacKenzie Cahill Nafisa Ferdous Mon, 02/13/2023 - 13:14

2019, Theater Performance, BFA

Biography

Born and raised in Northern California, MacKenzie holds a BFA in Theater Performance and a Minor in Music from ��ӽ紫ý. Following her graduation in 2019, she studied at A.C.T. (SF), The Barrow Group (NYC), The Upright Citizens Brigade (LA), and Stan Kirsch Studios (LA). In 2022, she moved to Los Angeles and is now working as a Motion Picture Talent Assistant at Creative Artists Agency. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.

Caroline Weinroth

Nafisa Ferdous — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 20:08:46 +0000

Caroline Weinroth Nafisa Ferdous Wed, 12/14/2022 - 15:08

2016, Theater, BA

Biography

Caroline Weinroth is a musician, model, and actor in Washington, D.C. At Mason, she earned an M.F.A. in Poetry Creative Writing and a B.A. in Theater & Audio Engineering. She is best known for her band, Cinema Hearts. Cinema Hearts has performed at concert halls and rock clubs, including Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Museums, Black Cat, and other venues. Cinema Hearts’ latest release, 'Your Ideal,' has been featured by Spotify Fresh Finds, Bandcamp New & Notable, Washington Post, Consequence New Sounds, and other publications.

Learn more at http://cinemahearts.com and http://carolinemusiclessons.com. Follow Caroline on Instagram at @cinema_hearts.

Mark Evans

Pam Muirheid — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 22:19:56 +0000

Mark Evans Pam Muirheid Wed, 09/14/2022 - 18:19

BA Music with a concentration in String Pedagogy (Cello), 2020

Biography

Mark Evans is a recent graduate (2022) in BA Music with a concentration in string pedagogy. He is currently teaching across the Northern Virginia and Washington D.C area with various Academies and Non-profit organizations. He created his own music education service called Mark's Music Prep, where he teaches music to people of all ages to read and write music and to play the cello. He also performs every Saturday in Washington D.C at Harlot D.C during “Brunch with Maestro” where he plays original works that blend the elegance and beauty of the cello with different mainstream genres.

Hannah (Whitlock) Keefe

Pam Muirheid — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 14:47:48 +0000

Hannah (Whitlock) Keefe Pam Muirheid Wed, 09/14/2022 - 10:47

Violin Performance, 2019

Biography

Hannah Keefe is a 2019 graduate of the Dewberry School of Music at Mason. She earned a violin performance degree, which has given her the opportunity to teach individual lessons and ensemble classes at the Music Tree School of Music in Richmond, Virginia. In addition, she has performed with the Virginia Symphony, Richmond Symphony, and Northern Neck Orchestra. She has many fond memories of Mason, but she misses most the spirit of camaraderie and closeness she felt during her time with June Huang and her fellow students in the strings department of the Dewberry School of Music.

Sophie Heeden

Pam Muirheid — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 18:31:43 +0000

Sophie Heeden Pam Muirheid Tue, 09/13/2022 - 14:31

BA in Music/Viola, minor in Arts Management, 2018

Biography

Sophie Heeden is currently the Concert Operations Coordinator for the Boston Symphony Orchestra where she works with the BSO, Boston Pops, and with their operations at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA. She also recently accepted the position of General Manager for the New England Philharmonic, a community orchestra in Boston focused on performing contemporary music. She has performed in the viola section with the New England Philharmonic, Brookline Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Civic Symphony.

Something Sophie remembers from her time at Mason was how many opportunities she was presented with both as a violist and aspiring administrator. She performed in orchestra, operas, musicals, and chamber ensembles as well as being an orchestra librarian, ensemble manager, and artist services assistant during her 3.5 years.

Alumna Aundi Marie Moore, a 2023 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Recipient

Pam Muirheid — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 21:53:07 +0000

Alumna Aundi Marie Moore, a 2023 Sphinx Medal of Excellence Recipient Pam Muirheid Tue, 07/19/2022 - 17:53

Learn More About Aundi Marie Moore

Aundi Marie Moore

Mason alumna Aundi Marie Moore has been named by the Sphinx Organization as one of the 2023 recipients of the Sphinx Medal of Excellence. This annual award is the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, bestowed in recognition of extraordinary classical Black and Latinx musicians. The award, which includes a $50,000 career grant, celebrates artists who demonstrate outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, artistic excellence, and an ongoing commitment to leadership and their communities. Moore will be presented with this honor at the organizations official ceremony on March 1, 2023, alongside the other two recipients of this year's award, Thomas Mesa and Joel Thompson.

The Sphinx Organization is "a social justice organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts.

Focused on increasing representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music and recognizing excellence, Sphinx programs serve beginner students to seasoned classical music professionals, as well as cultural entrepreneurs and administrators.

Based in Detroit, Michigan, but with nationwide reach, Sphinx envisions a day where the classical music field looks like our communities: where every young person has the opportunity to express themselves and learn classical music; where audiences reflect the people we see on our streets; and where leadership—on stage and off—includes all deserving voices."

Soprano Aundi Marie Moore established herself as an exceptional talent with her Metropolitan Opera debut as Strawberry Woman in the Met’s 2020 production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Previous operatic stage career highlights include Donna Elvira Don Giovanni at L'Opéra de Monte Carlo for her international debut, Nedda in I Pagliacci at Sarasota Opera, and Mimi in La Boheme at the Amalfi Coast Festival.

A member of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera, Moore has appeared in numerous operas at WNO, including as the Fifth Maid in Elektra under the baton of Heinz Fricke, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni conducted by Placido Domingo.

Moore completed her Masters of Music at the University of Michigan and her Bachelors [of Music] degree at ��ӽ紫ý. She participated in the Salzburg Music Festival Young Artist Program in 2008, covering the roles of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and the title role of Rusalka, and appeared as a featured soloist in the Gala concert conducted by Ivor Bolton. Concert highlights include her performance with the New World Symphony for Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 under the baton of Steven Jarvi, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra’s featured guest soloist for the Christmas Pops concert conducted by Marvin Hamlisch.

Moore has won various accolades including the 2016 Bronze Medal at the American Traditions Competition in Savannah, Georgia, First Place at both Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses Voice Competition and Vocal Arts Discovery Series of Washington D.C., and was a finalist at Operalia.

Copied from a Sphinx Music story.

Topics

alumni

CVPA Alumni

Dewberry School of Music

Mohammed Saffouri

Emily Schneider — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:07:47 +0000

Mohammed Saffouri Emily Schneider Wed, 06/01/2022 - 15:07

Biography

Mohammed Saffouri is an award-winning Palestinian-American filmmaker based in Fairfax, Virginia. Saffouri distinguished himself early on in his film career by earning a Capital Emmy for his debut documentary film, The First. His next film, Touchline, was recently selected to participate in Tribeca Film Festival. Touchline will be the first Jordanian film to be screened at Tribeca, and Saffouri will be the first alumni from ��ӽ紫ý to have a film screened at Tribeca in the festival’s history. Saffouri graduated from ��ӽ紫ý in 2020 with a degree in Film and Video Studies and a concentration in Film Directing. Throughout his eight years in the film and media industry, he has directed three films, produced four films, written three films, and created more than ten promotional videos for companies and non-profits. His work has been screened at such festivals as the Washington DC International Film Festival, the Virginia Film Festival, the Malmo Arab Film Festival, and others. Saffouri is currently developing his first narrative feature film.

Kyle Finnegan

Emily Schneider — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:05:54 +0000

Kyle Finnegan Emily Schneider Wed, 06/01/2022 - 15:05

Biography

Born in the same place as American cinema (the great state of New Jersey), Kyle Finnegan is a filmmaker living in Alexandria, VA. He graduated in 2017 with a BA in Film and Video Studies. After shooting and editing for several years, he currently works at 522 Productions with a focus on directing branded documentaries. His work won him a DC TIVA Peer award in 2021 and he’s interviewed all four of Time Magazine’s heroes of 2021. He has created short documentaries exploring subjects ranging from car hackers in Seattle to an artsy coal mining town in Utah. Whether it’s a film, a website, or a delicious meal, he aims to create something every day.

Seon Gyu Park

Pam Muirheid — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 16:07:14 +0000

Seon Gyu Park Pam Muirheid Wed, 11/17/2021 - 11:07

Doctoral Candidate in Vocal Performance

Biography

“It is a great honor for me to attend ��ӽ紫ý’s School of Music and receive the Peterson Endowment in Vocal Arts to continue my education and advanced training in Vocal Performance. I am honored to study Voice with renowned mezzo-soprano and University Professor Patricia Miller and the world class faculty here in the School of Music at Mason.

My love for singing began as a young child in South Korea. My parents nurtured my talent and I studied piano, participated in children’s choirs and won numerous singing competitions. I graduated with honors from Hanyang University (BM) and The Manhattan School of Music (MM) In NYC where I was a student of Catherine Malfitano and also took Music Education courses at Columbia University. My love for singing and teaching deepened after moving to the United States. I have sung operatic roles in Smetana’s Bartered Bride, Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Puccini’s La Boheme, and I am hungry to learn, study and sing more. When my family moved to Virginia, I was pleased to become a part of the Potomac Arts Academy as a teacher in piano and voice. Last year I won First Place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Virginia State and Mid-Atlantic Regional Voice Competitions in my category, and I was a semi finalist in the Classical Singer National Voice Competition in Boston. I am deeply grateful for the Peterson Endowment in Vocal Arts and I look forward to continuing my growth as an artist and educator and sharing my talent with an international community.”

Crystal Golden

Pam Muirheid — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 15:34:20 +0000

Crystal Golden Pam Muirheid Wed, 11/17/2021 - 10:34

2019, MM in Vocal Performance
2016, BM Music

Biography

“The Peterson Endowment in Vocal Arts has made it possible for me to attend the program that met all my criteria. Because of this generous gift, I can pursue the vocal education I need for the success of my career, and I can continue to serve at a university that has given me so much. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity, and I intend to show it through diligent work and continued service to GMU and to the community.

During my time at Mason, I was given the opportunity to compete in several competitions through VA-State and Mid-Atlantic Regional National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), The National Society of Arts and Letters, and Friday Morning Music Club. I was able to travel to Italy for the Amalfi Coast Music Festival three times to perform major roles in the operas. I was also selected to participate in the Oxford Semester study abroad program at University of Oxford.

The defining factor of my time at Mason was the overwhelming support I received from faculty and from the Fairfax community. My achievements were made possible because of the vocal instruction and mentorship I received from Professor Patricia Miller, the artistic team that surrounds me in and out of the vocal studio, the well-rounded music education I received from a world-class faculty, and the superior education standards at GMU.”