The Classical Mandolin Society of America and your host, the Mandolin Orchestra of Kansas City (MOOKC), invite you to attend the 37th Annual CMSA Convention, in Kansas City, Missouri, Wednesday, November 8th through Sunday morning on November 12th at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza, with preconvention workshops beginning Tuesday, November 7th.

Following the option of pre-convention workshops, the convention kicks off on Wednesday afternoon with a set of workshops and the first En Masse Orchestra rehearsal with returning conductor Dr. Jim Bates, followed by the Welcome Party in the evening. Evening concerts featuring our guest performers and our host orchestra will take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You can also look forward to open mic concerts, daily workshops on classical and non-classical topics, and late night sight reading and other ‘jams’. Friday includes our Gala banquet. NO convention activities are scheduled for Sunday morning, a last chance to spend time with bleary-eyed sore fingered friends.

Schedule:

• Pre-convention Workshops: Tuesday evening, November 7 from 7-9pm, and Wednesday morning, November 8
• Convention Starts: Wednesday after noon, November 8 (including our first En Masse Rehearsal)
• Convention Ends: Sunday morning, November 12 (no scheduled activities)

Cost: $375 for playing; $335 for non-playing; $125 for day pass, if available.

Day Passes: Day passes are available for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You may purchase a maximum of two day passes. With a day pass, you have access to all of the day’s activities, but will not have access to the En Masse music (come watch the rehearsal!) You must be a member of CMSA to purchase a day pass. Note: The Friday Day Pass does not include the Gala Banquet, so purchase a Gala Banquet ticket if you plan to attend!

At the 2023 convention, Jacob will lead the Mandolin 1 sectional, perform at concerts, and present workshops. For more information, visit jacobreuven.com

Mari Carmen Simón

Guest Performer

Beginning her bandurria studies under the teaching of Prof. Caridad Simón and Pedro Chamorro, Mari Carmen Simón studied later with Luis Giménez at Superior Murcia Conservatory (Spain) where she got her Degree in Plectro Instruments. After she obtained a Mandolin Diploma with Juan Carlos Muñoz by Music Conservatory of Esch-Sur-Alzette (Luxemburg). Mari also studied Baroque Music with the specialist Agostino Cirillo.

Mari performs with a Kerman mandolin, an instrument designed with double soundboard by the Israeli luthier Arik Kerman.

As soloist and chamber musician, Mari has performed in Spain, France, Germany, Greek, Estonia, Israel. She is regularly invited to play as soloist with Barrocade ensemble (Israel) and the baroque orchestra “La Capilla Real de Madrid” (Spain). Member of Kerman Mandolin Quartet, project that involved mandolinist artists from four different nationalities with which have recorded two CDs: “Mozart mandolin quartets” and “Israeli Mandolin Quartets”. Member of mandolin duo 16Strings joining the mandolinist Jacob Reuven. She also participated with other projects as Minus Bandurria quartet performing original plectro music by Turina, Falla or Strawinsky.

Mari has worked with the most important symphonic orchestras of Spain: “Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla”, “Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid”, JONDE (Joven Orquesta Nacional de España), “Ballet Nacional de España”, etc. Member of the Plectro orchestras: “Roberto Grandío”, “Il Forum Musicale” and “Ciudad de la Mancha”. As teacher she has been invited to numerous advanced classes.

Nowadays she is in charge of the superior mandolin lessons in Spain at the Superior Music Conservatory of Murcia. 

At the 2023 convention, Adam will lead the Guitar sectional, perform at concerts, and present workshops. For more information, visit Adam’s website at adamlevinguitar.com.

A native of Chicago’s North Shore, Adam holds bachelor’s degrees from Northwestern University in Music Performance, Psychology, and Pre-Med. Levin completed his master’s degree in guitar performance at New England Conservatory in Boston. Levin is a professor of guitar at the University of Rhode Island and also teaches at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Levin also serves as artistic director of the annual University of Rhode Island Guitar Festival (www.uriguitarfestival.org) and the newly created Rhode Island Guitar Guild (www.riguitarguild.org). Adam Levin is an Augustine Artist and performs on a guitar by luthier Stephan Connor and Dominique Field.

Masataka Hori

Guest Performer and Composer in Residence

Masataka Hori, mandolinist, composer, producer and conductor, studied mandolin, conducting, and harmony under Takashi Kubota in Japan. He was selected to study in Saarbrücken, Germany as an overseas trainee for Heisei Cultural Agency New Artists in 2011, where he studied mandolin under Juan-Carlos Muñoz. He also studied theory of Jazz and improvisation under Kiyomi Otaka.

Masataka has won many prestigious awards such as first place at the Raffael Calace International Mandolin Solo Competition in Italy in 2014 and the Tokyo Governor Prize in 2002. He launched his own mandolin ensemble called “EUPHORIA” and a jazz fusion band (electric mandolin, piano, bass guitar and drums). He also curates and produces the concert series “Il Mandolino Giapponese – another Italian culture”. Its success is generating further concert activities.

Masataka currently plays a mandolin custom built by Daigoro Ochiai.  Ochiai’s mandolins are renowned worldwide and cater for all of Masataka’s demands and ideas without any limitation. He is an endorser for world renowned string maker, OPTIMA since 2017.

Masataka has performed as a soloist at the festival “Rencontres Pince-Cordes” held in Milkur(France) in 2011,  the “Kobe International Music Festival” (Japan) in 2013,  and at the Suntory Foundation for Arts Summer Festival (Japan) in 2015. He toured around Brisbane and Perth in 2018 and 2022. These were such a great success that the various media outlets such as newspapers/webmagazine/radio stations followed and hailed the concert tour.

Masataka released a CD “Preludio” in 2015, which is a classical solo mandolin album.  The CD was highly acclaimed by Shin-ichiro Ikebe, one of the most respected composers in Japan, “Without doubt , this album will send fresh waves widely to the whole music world, not limited to the mandolin world.”

At the 2023 convention, Ms. Kim will perform a concert and lead a workshop Saturday morning introducing the Kubota mandolin method.

Daniel Doña

Special Guest

As part of the CMSA’s “Mandolins Make a Difference” program, the Board of Directors has commissioned three contemporary composers to write new works for mandolin ensemble. The first of these, to be premiered at the Kansas City convention, is Susie Ibarra’s Morning Malabar, which includes a part for solo viola.

The viola solo will be performed by Daniel Doña, a long-time collaborator of Ibarra’s.

Daniel received his DMA from Boston University where he serves on the viola faculty and as Assistant Chair of the String department. He is also Assistant Director of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute String Quartet Workshop, and has taught at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, and for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Intensive Community Program. Internationally acclaimed for his performances, Doña plays with the TriChrome ensemble and the Arneis Quartet.

At the 2023 convention, Daniel will play the viola solo with the En Masse Orchestra for Susie Ibarra’s Morning Malabar.

At the 2023 convention, Phil will be one of the Composers in Residence.

Jim Bates

En Masse Orchestra Conductor

Dr. Jim Bates is Director of Orchestral Activities at Otterbein University and Director of the Capital University Symphony Orchestra. Since 2006 he has served as an assistant conductor for the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras and the Westerville Symphony. As a conductor and teacher, Dr. Bates is able to draw on considerable experience as an educator, performer and historian.

For eighteen years Dr. Bates was a conductor for the Louisville (KY) Youth Orchestras and was music director of that organization from 1996 – 2001. From 1988-2001 he was music director of the Louisville Mandolin Orchestra. In 1999 he joined the conducting staff of Interlochen Center for the Arts and continues to direct the Junior Orchestra program and Junior String Institute there during the summer. He has served as a clinician or guest conductor in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, California, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Washington, Texas and Colorado. He has served as president of Kentucky ASTA and as string coordinator for the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts.

In addition to string education, Dr. Bates is very involved with the Classical Mandolin Society of America (CMSA) and period instrument performance. He serves on the National Board of Directors of CMSA and is actively involved with the Education Committee. He is the immediate past president of the Ohio String Teachers Association and is on the board of the Friends of Early Music in Columbus.  Currently, Dr. Bates is assistant conductor and principal bassist of the Westerville Symphony (OH), and is the Creative Director of The Early Interval, Columbus’ professional early music performance ensemble. He has degrees from the University of Louisville (B.M.E.), a Masters in double bass performance from Indiana University, where he studied bass with Lawrence Hurst and baroque performance with Stanley Ritchie, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Kentucky. He has two sons, Ethan and Gideon. 

At the 2023 convention, Robert will lead the Octave Mandolin (GDAE) sectional.

Kristin Stiteler

Section Leader

Kristin Stiteler is a native of Ohio and began playing the violin in 3rd  grade.  She has taught both band and orchestra classes at all grade levels for over twenty-seven years in both Ohio and North Carolina.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from The Ohio State University and was a National Board Certified Teacher from 2010 – 2020.

Kristin is an accomplished musician on several instruments and has performed regularly with multiple ensembles.  She has performed with several symphony orchestras in Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina since 1997 and she is currently in her 21st year of playing viola with the Fayetteville (NC) Symphony Orchestra where she held the position of principal violist for several years.

Kristin started her mandolin journey in 2006 and seeks out opportunities to perform every chance she gets. On mandolin, she has performed recitals with the FayAllegro Chamber Music Society and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. On mandola, she has been invited to perform alongside the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra on their recent performance tours in Japan, Italy, and Austria.

Kristin was director of the Cumberland County Youth Orchestra from 2002-2016, and is currently the Director of the Fayetteville Symphony Youth Orchestra. She has held several educational leadership roles at both the Region and County levels, led workshops, and has been invited to serve as a guest clinician in nearby NC districts. Kristin is an active member of NAfME, NCMEA, ASTA, and CMSA.

Tuesday, November 7th and Wednesday, November 8th

This year’s convention will offer a choice of three pre-convention activities the afternoon/evening of Tuesday, November 7th, and continuing the morning of Wednesday, November 8th led by Jacob Reuven & Mari Carmen Simón, Adam Levin, and Masataka Hori.

Each pre-convention workshop is requires an additional registration fee. Register early as spaces are limited!

Masataka Hori

Pre-Convention Workshop: Mandocello

CMSA’s mandocello group has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past several years and, in recognition, we are offering our very first pre-convention workshop on mandocello technique—with guest artist Masataka Hori. This video illustrates Masataka’s fantastic skills on the mandocello. Mandocellists, please take advantage of this unique opportunity!

There are many ways to take part in the convention, from Open Mic performance, to Volunteering, to Sponsorship.

Order your tee-shirts and totes when you register and they will be waiting for you at the convention.

CMSA Tote Bags

CMSA has a limited number of older tote bags for sale. Order a tote with your convention registration and it will be waiting for you at the convention. $10 each.

This year’s convention will be crowned with our famous En Masse Orchestra performance, conducted by Dr. Jim Bates. Any mandolin players who double on mandola, guitar, or mandocello are encouraged to play lower voiced instruments to help balance the orchestra.

The dress code for the En Masse Concert is black slacks or skirt and black shirt or blouse.

En Masse Pieces

• Giuseppe Anelli (1876-1926), Sinfonia Romantica
• Philip DeWalt, Keplerana: Three Orbits for Mandolin Orchestra (CMSA Composer-in-Residence commission)
• George Gershwin (1898 – 1937), Three Preludes (arr. S. Geis)
• Masataka Hori, Avvenire, per Orchestra a Plettro, Op. 39 (CMSA Composer-in-Residence commission)
• Susie Ibarra, Morning Malabar (CMSA “Mandolins Make a Difference” commission)
• Allesandro Liberati (1847 -1927), Kansas City Star March (arr. C. Heinlein)
• Eileen Pakenham (1914 – 2009), Fantasy in Five Time

This year, we will be performing three original works commissioned by CMSA. Two have been composed by our Composers-in-Residence. One has been composed as a new work for mandolin orchestras as part of our “Mandolins Make a Difference” commissioning project, led by the CMSA Education Committee.

To access the EnMasse music, sign in to your CMSA account. Select the Convention tab. If you do not see your account information, click the Sign-In option on the top menu bar of the website. 

Note that the sheet music provided here is under copyright. By accessing the music, you agree not to redistribute the music in any form or file format for commercial or any other purposes.

To assist with practicing your parts, here are links to some select sound files and YouTube performances of some of the En Masse pieces on this year’s program.  In YouTube, remember you can click on “Settings” to change the playback speed (i.e. slower if you wish) without changing the musical pitch.

• Giuseppe Anelli (1876-1926), Sinfonia Romantica performed by Mandolino Tokyo
• Philip DeWalt, Keplerana: Three Orbits for Mandolin Orchestra sound file
• Masataka Hori, Avvenire, per Orchestra a Plettro, Op. 39 sound file. This file will download to your device.
• Susie Ibarra, Morning Malabar sound file
• Eileen Pakenham (1914-2009), Fantasy in Five Time recording

For additional practice materials, check out the SmartMusic links under the Convention tab of the CMSA sign-in page.

Registration fee includes all materials and activities of the convention, including the Welcome Party, convention workshops, Gala Banquet, open mic sessions, concerts, late night jam sessions, and En Masse music for those playing in the orchestra.  Pre-convention workshops, tote bags, t-shirts, and membership renewal are additional.

You must be a member of CMSA to register for the convention.