CVPA faculty

Liz McClendon

Susan Brionez, Office Manager, School of Dance, has been at Mason for nearly fifteen years.  After 13+ years as Assistant to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs/Office Manager in the Volgenau School of Engineering, Susan transitioned to the artistic side of higher education.

Kimberly Harris joined the College of Visual and Performing Arts as the Office Manager in fall 2009 and later became the Administrative and Education Support Specialist. Currently she serves as the Academic Program Manager.

Karen Parowski is the Assistant Ticket Office Supervisor at the Hylton Performing Arts Center, on Mason's Science and Technology campus in Manassas.

John C.L. Jansen is an active composer, multi-instrumentalist, luthier, author, recording engineer, and teacher of music technology and music theory, based in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Djola Branner (he/him) is an interdisciplinary artist/educator who combines movement, sound and light to give voice to individuals historically absent from the stage. Co-founder of the award winning performance group Pomo Afro Homos, he toured nationally and internationally with their shows Fierce Love: Stories from Black Gay Life and Dark Fruit, and subsequently performed in regional theaters across the country.

Originally from Newark, Delaware, Prof. Emily Snyder joined The United States Air Force Band in Washington, DC in 2013 and was appointed as Adjunct Oboe Faculty at George Mason University in 2019.

Dr. Mira Yang earned her D.M.A. Degree at The Catholic University of America, her M.M. from Peabody Conservatory, and B.M. from Ewha Womans University. She studied at Der Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She also attended Altenburg Academy in Germany; Societa dei Concerti in Italy; AIMS in Graz, Austria; the Minnesota Opera Center; Dicapo Opera and the Shaker Mountain Festival.

Kerry Wilkerson made his Carnegie Hall debut in June 2017 to rave reviews as baritone soloist in the Vaughan Williams Sancta Civitas. His solo career has taken him up and down the east coast performing renowned oratorios and exciting recitals.

Angela Ammerman, referred to by the Washington Post as the first “music teacher prodigy,” earned degrees in Music Education from the University of Cincinnati: College-Conservatory of Music, Boston University, and her PhD from George Mason University.