George Mason University Brass Area

George Mason University Brass Area The official page for the brass area at the George Mason University School of Music.

New faculty alert! We are thrilled to welcome Professor Fred Marcellus to the Mason Brass Area!
05/22/2026

New faculty alert!

We are thrilled to welcome Professor Fred Marcellus to the Mason Brass Area!

We are excited to announce that Prof. Fred Marcellus, trumpet, will be joining our Dewberry School of Music, effective Fall semester 2026. Please join us in welcoming this exceptional musician to our Dewberry School of Music adjunct applied faculty in trumpet.

Prof. Fred Marcellus is a native of the Washington, D.C. area and is an active teacher, clinician, adjudicator, soloist, and freelance trumpet player. He holds a Master's Degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Bachelor's Degree from Wichita State University.

He is joining the faculty of George Mason University as an Adjunct Applied Professor of Trumpet, effective fall semester 2026. He is also on the faculty of George Washington University where he is the instructor of Trumpet and teaches privately for the Washington Brass Institute.

From 1991-2000, he was a Soloist and Assistant Principal Cornet of the “President’s Own” Marine Band and is presently finishing his military career as the First Sergeant with the Band of the Nation’s Capital, the 257th Army Band with the DC National Guard. As a soloist, he performed over 130 solos with the US Marine Band on four national tours. He was a featured soloist with the American Ballet Theatre in NY and with the Wichita Symphony and at the Mid West Band Clinic and NY Brass Conference.

In the Washington D.C. area, he has performed with many groups including the National Symphony, Washington Opera Orchestra, Washington Chorus, Master Chorale of Washington, the Choral Arts Society, the Alexandria Symphony, the Chesapeake Orchestra, the Wolf Trap Opera, the Alexandria Symphony, the National Philharmonic, the Chesapeake Orchestra, the Virginia Grand Military Band, and the Capital Wind Symphony. Additionally, he has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Baltimore Opera, the Chautauqua Symphony (N.Y.), the Wichita Ballet Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, the Eugene Symphony, the Heidelberg Opera Orchestra in West Germany, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the University of Maryland Faculty Brass Quintet, the Missouri Chamber Orchestra, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Eastman Brass Quintet, and a member of the Disney All-American College Orchestra.

He is on numerous recordings with the US Marine Band, including a solo feature on the Marine Band’s “On Tour” CD. He has recorded with the Rochester Philharmonic, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Washington Choral Arts Society, and on live broadcasts with the National Symphony, Washington Opera Orchestra, the Wichita Symphony, and the Chautauqua Symphony.

New faculty alert!We are thrilled to welcome Dr Max Crofton to the Mason Brass Area!
05/22/2026

New faculty alert!

We are thrilled to welcome Dr Max Crofton to the Mason Brass Area!

We are excited to announce that Dr. Max Crofton, tubist, will be joining our Dewberry School of Music, effective August 2026. Please join us in welcoming this exceptional musician to our Dewberry School of Music adjunct applied faculty in tuba.

Dr. Max Crofton was appointed Adjunct Applied Professor of Tuba at George Mason University effective August 2026. Dr. Crofton is currently a tubist with The United States Air Force Band’s Ceremonial Brass in Washington D.C., a position he assumed in December 2023. Prior to this, Dr. Crofton served as a tubist with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America from 2020 to 2023, where he showcased his talents in the Concert Band, Ceremonial Band, and Airlifter Brass Quintet.

Previously, Dr. Crofton served as Principal Tubist for the Round Top Festival Orchestra and Disneyland All-American College Band. Furthermore, he was honored to become the first tubist to win the Paducah Symphony Orchestra (Kentucky) Concerto Competition in 2016, affording him the opportunity to solo with the orchestra that same year. Additionally, Dr. Crofton has performed with many orchestras and wind bands, to include performances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, and Royal Canadian Air Force Band.

Dr. Crofton has a passion for music education and has held positions as Associate Instructor at Indiana University’s Jacobs Schools of Music, Adjunct Professor at Lincoln Trail College (Illinois), in addition to maintaining an active private studio for over a decade. Dr. Crofton also serves as the tuba instructor for Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Preparatory program where he teaches private lessons to the tuba studio. Dr. Crofton is an active clinician and has taught dozens of masterclasses at universities and programs across the US and abroad; he also regularly judges competitions and events for the International Tuba/Euphonium Association and frequently participates in events at The United States Army Band’s Tuba/Euphonium Workshop in Washington, DC.

Dr. Crofton holds a Doctor of Music in Music Literature/Performance and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, as well as a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Murray State University. He was recently honored to receive the “Top 22 Under 40” alumni award from MSU. Dr. Crofton has been mentored by esteemed teachers such as Dan Perantoni, Ray Conklin, and Matt Hightower.

05/18/2026

Congratulations to Mason Wind Symphony Bass Trombonist, Steve Bectel, on a fantastic solo playing Capriccio by Frank Gulino this weekend with the National Concert Band of America! 💚💛🎵

💚💛Student Spotlight!!💚💛Be sure to check out Steven Bectel (BM Performance) performing Frank Gulino’s Capriccio for Bass ...
05/17/2026

💚💛Student Spotlight!!💚💛

Be sure to check out Steven Bectel (BM Performance) performing Frank Gulino’s Capriccio for Bass Trombone and Band with the National Concert Band of America tomorrow! Steven is a student of Professor Katie Franke.

Good luck, Steven!! 🪊

Tomorrow’s concert will feature in Capriccio by Frank Gulino. You won’t want to miss it!

Steven Bectel is a junior studying Music Performance at George Mason University. After graduating high school, Steven freelanced for two years throughout the DMV area. During that time, he performed with many local ensembles, including the NIH Philharmonia, the National Concert Band of America, the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, the Trinity Chamber Orchestra, the Capitol Lab Band, the JazzWorx Big Band, the Difficult Run Jazz Band, and the Bob Gibson Big Band. He has also performed with notable artists such as Steve Turre, Jerry Weldon, Solungga Liu, and Matthew van Hoose. In 2024, he began his bachelor’s studies at George Mason, where he studies with Prof. Katie Franke of the “President’s Own” United States Marine Band. In his free time, Steven enjoys camping, hiking, exercising, cooking, playing in local ensembles, teaching, and spending time with friends and family.

05/15/2026

Congratulations 2026 Graduates!!

Congratulations to MM students Kathryn Carley and Jackson Holliday for advancing to the Semi-Final round of the Falcone ...
05/07/2026

Congratulations to MM students Kathryn Carley and Jackson Holliday for advancing to the Semi-Final round of the Falcone Euphonium Artist competition! Both are students of Dr Mark Jenkins. We’re so proud of your achievements—good luck in August!

04/26/2026
Join the GMUTEE for their final performance of the semester!
04/23/2026

Join the GMUTEE for their final performance of the semester!

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4502 Aquia Creek Lane
Fairfax, VA
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