Of Note

Inspiration from Rio

mm_bandolim2Marilynn has started work on a new recording of Brazilian music to be released in 2014. The CD features 6 of her new “hybrid choro,” written in Rio in 2012. The tunes draw inspiration from the sources of Marilynn’s musical styles– classical, jazz, and Choro, and end up in a place that only she could get to. Imagine a bossa nova based on Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, or a Brazilian take on George Gershwin’s “Summertime”. … Read More »

Posted January 29th, 2013

wrap-up: Marilynn @ CMSA, October 3-7, 2012

The annual convention of the Classical Mandolin Society of America, held this year in Minneapolis, was great! Lots of good music– amateur and professional– and Marilynn’s new trio with Chris Olson, guitar, and Jack Litzau, bass, soared to must-be-repeated status. Lots of folks from all over the world gave Marilynn great feed-back on her method books and CDs, and her newly written hybrid Choro. V.cool. A really good week-end– thanks to Lou Choinard and the Minneapolis Mandolin Orchestra for … Read More »

Posted October 12th, 2012

EventsIn ConcertWorkshops

CMSA convention 2012

The Classical Mandolin Society of America 2012 convention will be held in Minneapolis MN, and Marilynn will be performing, giving workshops, and coaching the mandola section of the CMSA all-attendee orchestra. Sign up online at the link above.… Read More »

Posted August 12th, 2012

Press

Interview with Marilynn

A local paper came to campus to interview Marilynn in May, and the article came out in print and online. Brazil, rock & roll, even the forgotten pop classic, “Tootsie Roll”. You can read it here.Read More »

Posted May 5th, 2012

Chorinho é declarado Patrimônio Cultural Carioca

Choro is declared an official part of the Cultural Heritage of Rio de Janeiro – Jornal do Brasil
Read More »
Posted May 5th, 2012

Off to Rio!

Marilynn will be in Rio for most of June and will be playing at a number of rodas during her stay. The Forte Copacabana rodas are Sundays @ 5:30 and run for two hours. More Information will be available in May. There are also rodas @ Praca Sao Salvador, Bip Bip, and other locations. Email for other venues and times if you too will be in Rio in June.… Read More »

Posted April 19th, 2012

What’s she doing down there?

You can follow Marilynn’s start to the new year in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro on her blog Celebrating a Year where you will find daily posts with photos and reflections on her experiences, musical and otherwise. You can visit by clicking the link above, or subscribe, as the blog has been going for 3 years and will continue even after her South American idyll ends.… Read More »

Posted January 7th, 2012

Momento Rio Bandolim

Marilynn is back from her trip to Brazil in November to give a concert and lecture at the international mandolin festival, Momento Rio Bandolim. For the concert, Marilynn focused on compositions written for and dedicated to her over the course of her career. The lecture highlighted the parallel development of music for mandolin/bandolim in Brazil and the USA throughout the 20th century. More information is available here.… Read More »

Posted October 12th, 2011

EventsIn ConcertNews

Momento Rio Bandolim

Marilynn will be traveling to Rio to perform and give a lecture at this international mandolin event. Her lecture is Saturday, November 12, and her concert, with guitarist Fabio Nin, is Sunday, November 13. More information is available here.… Read More »

Posted September 12th, 2011

Interview w/ Marilynn on “Bluebell Books”

Jamie Dedes has done a short interview w/ Marilynn about her publishing experiences. Is a new book forthcoming? Find out more…… Read More »

Posted July 20th, 2011
    • “Smudging the lines between folk and classical is an intrepid endeavor… Mair’s a superb mandolin player who has brought the instrument to unexpected places…” – Jim Macnie, The Providence Phoenix (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground…a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer.” – – Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Mair travels by mandolin to Brazil and brilliance… her commitment to the music shines through.” – Rick Massimo, The Providence Journal

    • “Stepping back to the 18th-century masterworks gave her the opportunity to highlight her technique with a fresh light… her playing is thoughtful, vibrant and a delight to listen to.” — Terence Pender, Mandolin Quarterly (USA)

    • “She’s a fabulous player with a wonderfully clear and lyrical sound.” – The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)

    • “Mair displays an exceptionally gifted approach to this music, using her formidable mandolin technique with grace and sensitivity… It’s the next best thing to a trip to Rio.” – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair performs Brazilian mandolin music… she plays the mandolin as an instrument for all occasions.” – Vaughn Watson, The Providence Journal (USA)

    • “Bring a talented ensemble of gifted musicians together playing some of the great concertos and chamber music pieces of the 1700s, present the extraordinary classical mandolinist Marilynn Mair front and center, and you have a rare combination of the right musicians performing the right music at the right time.” – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair é uma bandolinista americana de formação erudita” — Paulo Eduardo Neves, Agenda do Samba Choro (Brasil)

    • “Mair is unstoppable… capable of evoking any landscape, past or present, you’d care to conjure.” – Mike Caito, Providence Phoenix (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair on mandolin…touches the deepest and most engaging reaches of the ancient and passionate ‘Latin soul’.” – Carlos Agudelo, Billboard Magazine

    • “A lovely concert! We estimate your spell-bound and enthusiastic audience at close to 1800 people…” – Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors (USA)

    • “The final repeat of the melody transmitted a strong feeling of peace and tenderness that escaped no one in the audience. It is this sensitivity and subtleness that characterized the overall performance.” – Brian Hodel, Guitar Review (USA)

    • “A brilliant concert from beginning to end…The performance was extraordinary.” – La Rioja (Spain)

    • “A sparkling concert… absolutely brilliant!” – Guitar Magazine (England)

    • “Marilynn Mair acquits herself very well indeed, a most accomplished player, able to deal with the many intricacies the repertoire demands of her.” – Chris Kilvington, Classical Guitar (England)

    • “Marilynn Mair lives up to her reputation as an excellent mandolinist, with clear tone, a beautiful tremolo, and creative expressiveness.” – Zupfmusik Magazin (Germany)