AMGuSS Winter Orchestra Weekend, February 2010

By alex | Published: January 3, 2010

AMGuSS IS BACK IN FEBRUARY~ The ever-delightful American Mandolin & Guitar Suitcase Seminars will be holding the 2nd annual Winter Orchestra Week-end, on February 26-28, 2010, on the campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol RI. Workshops on musical form and technique will combine with orchestra rehearsals and sectionals, and culminate in a public concert by the American Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra (yes, that includes all students and faculty) that will be held in the Mary Tefft White Center on the RWU campus. Classes and rehearsals will be held in the beautiful newly-opened Global Heritage Hall on campus, and we’ll begin with an orchestra rehearsal on Friday night, February 26. Join Ralph Costanza, Bob Sullivan, Bob Martel, and me for a fun weekend dedicated to the fine art of playing in a conducted ensemble of plucked strings. Tuition for the week-end is $100. Contact Ralph Costanza @ email hidden; JavaScript is required for details on how to register and pay. Orchestra music, which will include 2 new Australian pieces for mandolin orchestra as well as some old favorites, will be emailed out at the end of January.

Participants can once again arrange to stay at the lovely waterfront Bristol Harbor Inn. We have reserved a group of rooms for the event. (http://www.bristolharborinn.com/) Be sure to ask for the special rate for the RWU Mandolin/Guitar Seminar. Meals will be available on campus and in nearby Bristol.

Posted January 3rd, 2010. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

  • Marilynn Mair on mandolin…touches the deepest and most engaging reaches of the ancient and passionate ‘Latin soul’.

    – Carlos Agudelo, Billboard Magazine

    “Marilynn Mair lives up to her reputation as an excellent mandolinist, with clear tone, a beautiful tremolo, and creative expressiveness.”

    – Zupfmusik Magazin (Germany)

    “Mair displays an exceptionally gifted approach to this music, using her formidable mandolin technique with grace and sensitivity… It’s the next best thing to a trip to Rio.”

    – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    “A lovely concert! We estimate your spell-bound and enthusiastic audience at close to 1800 people…”

    – Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors (USA)

    Bring a talented ensemble of gifted musicians together playing some of the great concertos and chamber music pieces of the 1700s, present the extraordinary classical mandolinist Marilynn Mair front and center, and you have a rare combination of the right musicians performing the right music at the right time.

    – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair é uma bandolinista americana de formação erudita”

    — Paulo Eduardo Neves, Agenda do Samba Choro (Brasil)

    “A brilliant concert from beginning to end…The performance was extraordinary.”
    – La Rioja (Spain)

    “Stepping back to the 18th-century masterworks gave her the opportunity to highlight her technique with a fresh light… her playing is thoughtful, vibrant and a delight to listen to.”

    — Terence Pender, Mandolin Quarterly (USA)

    “Mair travels by mandolin to Brazil and brilliance… her commitment to the music shines through.”

    – Rick Massimo, The Providence Journal

    “Marilynn Mair acquits herself very well indeed, a most accomplished player, able to deal with the many intricacies the repertoire demands of her.”

    – Chris Kilvington, Classical Guitar (England)

    “She’s a fabulous player with a wonderfully clear and lyrical sound.”

    – The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)

    “Mair is unstoppable… capable of evoking any landscape, past or present, you’d care to conjure.”

    – Mike Caito, Providence Phoenix (USA)

    “Smudging the lines between folk and classical is an intrepid endeavor… Mair’s a superb mandolin player who has brought the instrument to unexpected places…”

    – Jim Macnie, The Providence Phoenix (USA)

    “A sparkling concert… absolutely brilliant!”

    – Guitar Magazine (England)

    “The final repeat of the melody transmitted a strong feeling of peace and tenderness that escaped no one in the audience. It is this sensitivity and subtleness that characterized the overall performance.”

    – Brian Hodel, Guitar Review (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair performs Brazilian mandolin music… she plays the mandolin as an instrument for all occasions.”
    – Vaughn Watson, The Providence Journal (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground…a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer.”

    – – Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine (USA)