The CMSA Commissioning Project

In 2021 the Classical Mandolin Society of America launched Mandolins Make a Difference (MMAD) in order to cultivate a more diverse landscape for mandolin performance. Along with many other musical organizations, CMSA committed to cultivating an inclusive environment that promotes anti-racism, accessibility, and philanthropic service. Thus the CMSA set out to update the historic intentions of mandolin orchestras and expand them to also include making fundamental differences in who plays, how we play, where we play, and why we play.

As part of that ambitious endeavor the CMSA embarked on a commissioning project to actively engage with composers with a diverse background and a diverse approach to composition in order to produce completely novel compositions for mandolin ensembles. The intention being to increase stylistic diversity available to mandolin ensembles and further our cause to “make a difference.” The CMSA reached out to five composers and three remarkable composers accepted our invitation to compose for mandolin ensemble.

The CMSA has been honored to work with Susie Ibarra, Raven Chacon, and Aftab Darvishi to premiere three unique works for mandolin ensemble. Each of these composers enthusiastically embraced the challenge to compose for instruments with which they were largely unfamiliar.

Susie Ibarra’s work, Morning Malabar, was premiered in 2023 by the En Masse Orchestra at our national convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Ms. Ibarra’s work features mandolin orchestra with solo viola and evokes the sounds of the jungle of the west coast of India where the bird, the malabar thrush is found. That work was subsequently reworked for a chamber ensemble.

Raven Chacon’s composition, Neeznadiin, which means 100 in the Navajo language, is a graphic score intended for a large ensemble of mandolin-family instruments. Much of the score is graphically notated and uses many extended techniques for mandolin. The score also allows for some free interpretation as the fascinating sonic landscape unfolds.

Aftab Darvishi created a beautifully evocative score, Unalome, that is very approachable by a traditional mandolin orchestra instrumentation. The word unalome, is a sacred Buddhist symbol that represents enlightenment, or a person’s spiritual path. Drawing on her Iranian background, the expressive melodies and textures are seemingly timeless and hint at far away musical landscapes.

Both Neeznadiin and Unalome were premiered in Rochester, NY at the 2024 National Convention of the CMSA.