Michael Tognetti & Tom Napoli
The 2025 CMSA Convention in Portland, Oregon was more than a gathering — it was a moment of collective musical expression that reminded us why this community continues to thrive. Over five days, over 150 players, educators, and enthusiasts roamed the Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel attending workshops, sectional sessions, rehearsals, and jam sessions filling the air with the unmistakable sound of plucked strings in motion. In November and December, we delivered the Open Mic Sessions to the performers and some of those have been made available for publish viewing by those musicians. Now, the videos of the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are available for viewing by the membership. This includes the wonderful performance of the 148-member strong 2025 En Masse Orchestra. These are available for viewing on the CMSA website, offering members the chance to revisit the performances that defined a great convention. Click “In Review“.
At the heart of the release is the En Masse Orchestra performance, a signature CMSA tradition and the emotional centerpiece of the convention. The 2025 ensemble brought together players from across North America, Europe, and Australia creating a single, unified orchestra whose sound could only be described as both immense and intimate. Under the inspired direction of Dr. Jim Bates, the group delivered a program that showcased the expressive range of the mandolin family, guitar, bass and percussion — from shimmering tremolos to bold, full-ensemble statements that filled the hall.
But the En Masse concert was only one highlight in a week rich with artistry. The released videos also includes three additional concerts by our guests artists Vincent Beer-Demander, Fabio Galluci, Fiona Horbach, and Werner Ruecker who performed as solo artists and in duos, each representing a different facet of the mandolin world: Together, these performances formed a vivid portrait of a community that continues to evolve while honoring its deep roots.
For those who attended the convention, the videos offer a chance to relive the energy of the week — the anticipation prior to taking the stage, the shared breath before a downbeat, the applause that lingered just a little longer than expected. For those who couldn’t be there in person, the recordings provide a window into the artistry, camaraderie, and sheer joy that define CMSA gatherings.
As a video production team, we would like to thank the Board of Directors and the efforts of the musicians, composers, and Jim Bates who reviewed both the videography and the sound editing of these videos and approved them for release to the CMSA membership.
As we look ahead to 2026 in Bloomington, Minnesota and beyond, the 2025 video collection stands as a reminder of what happens when musicians come together with a shared purpose: to play, to learn, and to celebrate the music that connects us.