2025 Convention

October 29 – November 1, 2025

The Classical Mandolin Society of America and your host, the Oregon Mandolin Orchestra invite you to attend the 39th Annual CMSA Convention in Portland, Oregon, Wednesday October 29 through Saturday, November 1 at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.

The Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel is located at 8235 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97220. This location is directly on airport grounds, one mile from the terminal’s front door. Here’s a breakdown of how to get to and from the hotel:

Direct from Portland International Airport (PDX):

• Hotel Shuttle (Complimentary): The Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel offers a complimentary 24-hour airport shuttle service. Look for signage for hotel shuttles at the airport or contact the hotel directly for pick-up information.
• Walk! If you’re feeling nimble or wish to stretch your legs after the flight, there’s a sidewalk from the terminal’s front door to the hotel.
• MAX Light Rail (Red Line): Board at the aiport station and disembark at the Mount Hood Avenue Station, walk 0.6 miles NE on the sidewalk to the hotel.  Board the Red Line to Hillsboro at this same station to get to downtown and all points in the regional transit network.  The fare is $2.80 or $1.40 for senior/65+ and youth/7-17.  Pay before boarding with a contactless credit card, or a smartphone.
• Ride-Sharing Services (Uber/Lyft) and Taxis: Your driver might not want to waste time with such a short trip to the airport, but if you’re headed elsewhere from PDX, follow signs for the taxi and rideshare pickup inside Level 1 of the Short-Term Parking garage.

• Rental Cars: Many rental car companies operate at PDX.  Parking is included in the special convention room rates at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.

Drop by the registration area to pick up your packet, say hello, ask questions, and share your convention plans.  The registration desk will be staffed every following day from 8am until 6pm.

Register for optional pre-convention workshops to explore advanced techniques with expert instructors in an interactive sessions.

Vincent Beer-Demander: Technique through Animals, Mount Adams

Werner Ruecker: Guitar Technique, Garden B&C

More options pre-convention workshops are offered through the morning.

Werner Ruecker & Fiona Horbach: Ensemble Skills, Mount Adams

Fabio Gallucci: GDAE Mandola Technique,  Garden B&C

The convention begins!  We’ll have the schedule up by the end of September, but you can check out last year’s schedule to see a representative sample of years past.

Don’t be late for the first rehearsal!  We’ll figure out seating and Maestro Bates will lead us through our “first reading.”  Practice your part ahead of time so it’s not literally your first reading.

Come meet your colleagues over light dinner and aperitivo.  Dress casually, but be sure to wear your best smile.

Begin your day with your section mates and your instrument.  Your section leader will provide technical details regarding your en-masse part.

Learn your new favorite technique or travel the musical world to explore novel traditions.  We’ll have the schedule up by the end of September, but you can check out last year’s schedule to see a representative sample of years past.

We’ll cheer on our intrepid solo performers over box lunch.  We’ll post a sign-up link here for those who wish to share a few minutes of their talent.  You will also be able to reserve and purchase a boxed lunch.

Every wonder why Jim Bates is so cool at the podium, or how to solo using a lead sheet, or how to make high-quality digital recordings?  Those are examples of previous years’ workshops.  Here are some from last year.

We’ll work through Saturday’s En Masse Orchestra program again.

Invite your friends and family for a free concert by some of your section leaders.

Practice make perfect.  Wake up early to polish your en-masse part with your sectional colleagues and leader.

Friday we have two blocks of workshops to extend your musical horizons.

President Brumley will announce the annual awards and reveal next year’s convention location over a banquet lunch.  Reserve your partner’s lunch when you register to share the fun…. AND BUY LOTS OF RAFFLE TICKETS.  Proceeds support scholarships and programming at future CMSA conventions.  You might win a the grand prize, a new mandolin, or take home albums, strings, or other musical accessories.

More workshops!  We save some of the best topics for last, so make sure to pace yourself.

It’s a lot of work to prepare 120 plucked-string musicians for the En Masse Orchestra performance, but more importantly, it’s a lot of fun.

More free concerts!  The Oregon Mandolin Orchestra will show off their talent and there will be solo sets from some of the guest artist/section leaders.

It’s the last day to buff those rough edges from your technique with your colleagues.

Here’s the last block of workshops.  We’ll have a detailed schedule for you by the end of September so that you can plan your convention.

Cheer on the large-ensemble open-mic participants over a box lunch.  We’ll post a link here for you to sign up for open-mic, as well as one to purchase your boxed lunch.

Do you want to know what your CMSA Board Members do all year?  Do you have questions for them?  Do you have ideas for future activities?  Come attend the General Membership Meeting!

It’s a dress rehearsal in name only…. except that you must dress!  Just don’t worry about the black shirt and slacks/skirt/dress until the evening.  We’ll run through the En-Masse program once more before the final concert.

The featured event of the convention is another free concert beginning with solo sets from your section leaders/guest artists.  The headliners are you — the CMSA En Masse Orchestra, directed by Dr. Jim Bates.  It’s a free show, but CMSA appreciates (tax-deductible) donations taken at the door.  We’ll have a cash bar to help your audience celebrate.

We’ll keep that cash bar around for the after party.  Unwind with your colleagues and new best friends and enjoy the exhilaration of completing the convention program with your fingers intact and mind only slightly overflowing with new melodies and rhythms.

There are two avenues for plucked-string players looking for extra assistance to come to the annual convention:

• CMSA Student Scholarship for full-time high-school and college students,
• Lou Chouinard Scholarship for first-time convention attendees.

Both scholarships provide a one-year CMSA membership (or extension), registration to the convention and one pre-convention workshop, and a stipend to support travel and lodging.

Attendees are expected to participate at the convention Wednesday – Saturday, attend sectional rehearsals, perform in the En Masse Orchestra, attend the Gala Banquet, and provide written exposition of the convention experience suitable for publication in The Mandolin Journal.

Help us support our programs and scholarships.

Your dollars will allow us to support the creation of new music for mandolin family instruments and orchestras, build online libraries of historic and new mandolin music, support luthiers, and continue our educational goals to provide stimulating and innovative workshops, and support artists from around the world. Your generosity also supports our scholarship and Mando-for-Kids programs, supporting mandolin students.

We invite you to help sponsor our annual convention and to reach out to our members.  Benefits such as ads in the printed program and the Mandolin Journal allow you to connect with members. Plus, we’ll even reserve a vendor table for you at the convention.  Diamond-level sponsors can even attend the En Masse Orchestra rehearsals!

Would your orchestra like extra visibility at the convention?  Do you have a musical message to get out?  Support the convention by placing an ad in the attendee guide or evening program.