This 2025–26 season, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was pleased to welcome two dynamic trios as Mason Artists-in-Residence.
In the fall of 2025, Grammy and Emmy-winning ensemble Time For Three (TF3) led a variety of community workshops and conversations with members of the local and George Mason University communities. TF3 conducted conversations, workshops, and masterclasses with George Mason’s Arts Management program, Dewberry School of Music, and Mason Community Arts Academy. Likewise, they interacted with the broader community through an Artist-in-Conversation at CENTERFUSE in Historic Manassas and a lecture-demonstration at Prince William County Public Library’s Central Library. TF3 also presented an engaging field trip performance for students from Prince William County, City of Manassas, and City of Manassas Park. The residency culminated in the pièce de résistance: working with the Gar-Field Senior High School Chamber Orchestra leading up to Time for Three’s Hylton Center performance, in which the students joined them onstage as part of the artists’ program finale Joy in Merchant Hall.
Then, just last month, the Hylton welcomed Soles of Duende, a multicultural all female trio that weaves tap, flamenco, and kathak into a vibrant percussive dance experience rooted in rhythm and collaboration. Throughout the week of their residency, Soles of Duende engaged with the community in multiple ways. The artists guest lectured for George Mason University dance students, led workshops for community participants, and worked closely with a group of local dancers representing all three dance styles. Together, everyone learned choreography with the shared goal of building community through dance. The residency culminated in a special moment in Merchant Hall when the community dancers joined Soles of Duende on stage for the finale of their Hylton performance, creating a joyful celebration of artistry and connection.
Both residencies energized the community by transforming music and dance into a shared experience rooted in participation, dialogue, and connection. The Hylton Center is deeply grateful to the artists who led these activities, generously sharing their time, expertise, and creative insight with the community.
Learn more about Mason’s Artist-in Residence program and how these residencies create spaces for transformational experiences to happen.