Seattle mandolin masters bring concerto to Edmonds
Published 12:32 pm Thursday, June 12, 2008
Mike Marshall will give the Northwest premiere of his new mandolin concerto, accompanied by the Seattle Mandolin Orchestra, in a concert Monday in Edmonds.
“This concert is a rare opportunity to hear a new work for the mandolin in an orchestral setting, written and performed by one of the instrument’s leading exponents,” said Martin Stillion of the Seattle Mandolin Orchestra.
Marshall swings gracefully from jazz to classical to bluegrass to Latin styles. He has performed and recorded with many of the top names in acoustic music, including David Grisman, Tony Rice, Mark O’Connor, Chris Thile, Stephane Grappelli, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Darol Anger and classical violin virtuoso Joshua Bell.
Marshall founded the Modern Mandolin Quartet, which released four recordings for Windham Hill Records. He also established the prestigious annual Mandolin Symposium at the University California-Santa Cruz.
The Seattle Mandolin Orchestra will present several other works, including the G major concerto by 18th-century German composer Johann Adolf Hasse, with musical director Alan Jacobson as soloist. Founded in 1968, the orchestra is dedicated to revitalizing America’s mandolin ensemble tradition.
Featuring the entire mandolin family of instruments, including mandolin, mandola, mandocello and mandobass, the group performs throughout the Seattle area. Its repertoire encompasses classical, folk and international selections.
Also performing will be the Emerald City Mandolin Quartet. Founded in 1996, the quartet blends the expressive concepts of the traditional violin-family string quartet with the sounds of plucked string ensembles.
Marshall also will conduct a mandolin workshop at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Dusty Strings in Fremont. Call 206-634-1662 for information.
