Evening Programs

8:00pm: Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra

Program to be announced.

9:00pm: Chris Acquavella

1. El Duende from Estampes Juan Carlos Munoz (b. 1965)
2. The Kensington Etudes Suite Chris Acquavella (b. 1975)
   1. Images in Broken Glass
   2. The Millstone at Old Mill Pond
   3. Fast Flight to Planet ONKARS
   4. Gazing into the Aurora
3. “La Fustemberg” Variations Nr. 10 Antonio Riggieri (c. 1767-1783)
4. Gates of the Arctic Chris Acquavella (b. 1975)
5. 2014 Chris Acquavella (b. 1975)

8:00pm: Chris Acquavella & René Izquierdo

1. Yutuma Chris Acquavella (b.1975)
2. Mountain Moor Stephen Funk Pearson (b.1952)
3. Suite Venezolana José Antonio Zambrano Rivas (b.1965)
   1. Fiesta Criolla
   2. Tonada
   3. El Morenito
   4. Las Mariposas del Bosque
   5. Fiesta Criolla (reprise)

If your seat is taken by someone in dressed in black who could conceivably be a musician, shoo them away and tell them to warm up for the main event.

9:00pm: The CMSA En Masse Orchestra

You are in for treat, flavored with a musical tour around the world! Jim Bates has prepared the following program.

Music for Play by Claudio Mandonico

We begin our journey in Italy, not with an early 20th-century work, but with a more modern one. Claudio Mandonico’s three-movement work, Music for Play, provides an exciting opener for the audience and varied musical challenges for players. The first movement, “Entrata,” taken at an allegro tempo, is followed by the beautiful and moving “Canzona.” The piece’s finale, “Ritmico,” concludes with galloping layers of rhythm and melody.

The En Masse Orchestra performed Mandonico’s Iberia at the 2019 convention in Bloomington, Illinois.

Okinawa Suite by Miwa Naito

Japanese composer Miwa Naito’s Okinawa Suite has many opportunities for beautiful expression, especially the guitar section, as well as a small dose of extended techniques to tease the sonic palette.

To CMSA regulars, this piece may serve as a prequel, as we performed Miwa Naito’s Okinawa Suite II at the 2014 convention in Portland.

Tale of Two Cities by Chris Acquavella

The centerpiece of the program is Chris Acquavella’s exciting new work, which brings together both local color and a world premiere. Tale of Two Cities begins with “St. Paul” demonstrating beautiful counterpoint. The interlude titled “Mendota Bridge” shimmers with tremolo to contrast the hard driving rock-and-roll in the “Minneapolis” second movement. Chris Acquavella is one of the great composers of modern works for plucked-string orchestra. This new piece is certain to be viewed as an important addition to the modern repertoire – and great fun to learn and play, too!

The En Masse Orchestra dazzled another Bloomington convention audience in 2019 with Chris’ most well-known work, Yutuma.

The City Awakens by Emiel Stöpler

The Dutch composer and guitarist, Emiel Stöpler’s lively The City Awakens captures the vibrant and optimistic energy of an urban landscape with Emiel’s characteristic rhythmic style derived from minimalism and popular music.

Turkish Suite by Burkhard Wolters

The concluding work of the program brings the exotic sounds and rhythms of Turkey to the convention audience. German composer and guitarist Burkard Wolters’ Turkish Suite uses evocative scales and asymmetrical rhythmic play to complete our musical travelogue.