Mark Davis

USA

I play mandolin today because my first classical guitar teacher, Hibbard A. Perry had just re-formed the Providence Mandolin Orchestra and cajoled me into joining. When he stepped down in1989 I took over as music director. By that time I was deeply immersed in the international mandolin and guitar scene, having studied guitar for two summer in Germany with Siegfried Behrend and participating in his summer DZO sessions, had performed in festivals in Rioja as well as the 'Zupfest', and had recorded the LP "Music for Guitar and Mandolin" (Mair-Davis Duo, 1980).

Ich spiele heute Mandoline, weil mein erster Lehrer für klassische Gitarre, Hibbard A. Perry, gerade das Providence Mandolin Orchestra neu gegründet und mich überredet hatte, Mitglied zu werden. Als er 1989 zurücktrat, übernahm ich die Leitung des Orchesters. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war ich tief in die internationale Mandolinen- und Gitarrenszene eingetaucht, nachdem ich zwei Sommer lang in Deutschland bei Siegfried Behrend Gitarre studiert und an seinen Sommer-DZO-Sessions teilgenommen hatte, auf Festivals in Rioja und beim „Zupfest“ aufgetreten war und die LP „Music for Guitar and Mandolin“ aufgenommen hatte (Mair-Davis Duo, 1980).

I have played mandolin ever since my teens but became much more serious about learning it after I heard about "classical mandolin". I studied the Pettine/Bickford school of technique with Hibbard Perry, but in fact I believe I have learned something from every mandolinist I have ever heard. In fact I am a bit of a musical chameleon. On any given week I might be learning or arranging some new repertoire for our Trio, working on a guitar duo adaptation of Bach's Goldberg Variations, working up a guitar solo recital, or playing my (extremely old) Fender guitar with my Americana folk rock band.

Ich spiele seit meiner Jugend Mandoline, habe mich aber viel intensiver mit dem Erlernen beschäftigt, als ich von „klassischer Mandoline“ hörte. Ich habe die Technik der Pettine/Bickford-Schule bei Hibbard Perry studiert, aber tatsächlich glaube ich, dass ich von jedem Mandolinisten, den ich je gehört habe, etwas gelernt habe. Tatsächlich bin ich so etwas wie ein musikalisches Chamäleon. In jeder Woche lerne oder arrangiere ich möglicherweise neues Repertoire für unser Trio, arbeite an einer Gitarrenduo-Adaption von Bachs Goldberg-Variationen, bereite ein Gitarrensolokonzert vor oder spiele meine (extrem alte) Fender-Gitarre mit meiner Americana-Folk-Rock-Band .

My main mandolin is a 1979 instrument from Fratelli Sirleto of Naples, but I also play a Collings MF-5 from time to time.

***

Meine Hauptmandoline ist ein 1979er Instrument von Fratelli Sirleto aus Neapel, aber ab und zu spiele ich auch eine Collings MF-5.

Mair-Davis Duo – guitarist/arranger 1976-1999

Providence Mandolin Orchestra - Music Director 1987-present

The Davis Guitar Duo – guitarist 2000-present

New American Mandolin Ensemble - founder/director/1st mandolin 2013-2020

Café Trio Plus – mandolinist/arranger 2015-present

Hampton Trio – mandolinist/arranger 2017-present

CMSA Fellow 2021

Grammy nomination for CD ‘Vienna Nocturne’ 1991

And here are some notable commissions, dedications and premieres:

Guido Santorsola – Sonata a Duo, No. 6 Dedicado al Duo Mair-Davis 1982

LP recording: ‘Picaflor’ Mnemosyne Records 1982

Stephen Funk Pearson – ‘Mountain Moor’ written for the Mair-Davis Duo

LP recording: ‘Contemporaries’ Zupfmusik 808-72 1972

Ernst Krenek – Suite for Mandolin and Guitar, op. 242 [Barenreiter Verlag]

CD recording: 'ZU" Novisse 1995

Frank Wallace – ‘My Vital Breath’

Video performance: New American Mandolin Ensemble – YouTube

James Kellaris – ‘Philoxenia’

Video performance: New American Mandolin Ensemble – YouTube

Francine Trester – ‘Three Movements for Mandolin Orchestra’

Jamie Allen – ‘Providence Raptors’ for the Providence Mandolin Orchestra

Ron Pearl – ‘Open the Door to the North Wind’ for the Providence Mandolin Orchestra

The Hampton Trio in Concert:

0:59 Suite - J.B.Lully, arr. S. Tsuzuki
Gavotte – Air – Sarabande – Hornpipe – Menuett - Cibel

12:14 Aben Humeya (Danse Arabe) - Angel Barrios

15:23 Trio Albeniz - Eileen Pakenham

19:34 Variations on an Ancient Irish Air - Mark Linkins

22:43 Theme and Variations from ‘Weaving Girl’ - Yasuo Kuwahara

Beverly Davis: guitar
Mark M. Davis: mandolin
Robert A. Margo: mandola in G
Videography and editing: Mark Thayer

The video was released in conjunction with the CMSA ”Special Virtual Summer Event” of August 8, 2020.
Instruments: Mark Davis is performing on a 1979 Fratelli Sirleto (Naples) and a Collings MF-5. Beverly Davis performs on a Stephen Connor guitar (2013). Robert Margo is performing on an East German G mandola.

A live performance by the New American Mandolin Ensemble of Frank Wallace's composition, "My Vital Breath." Recorded on June 6th, 2014 at the Doopsgezinde Kerk in Steenwijk, Netherlands. Video recording by Henk Houtschild, and audio recording and video editing by Emiel Stopler.

Four short movements: 1. Circuits, 2. Underground
3. Walk About, 4 Fast Lane
by Owen Hartford

Performed by the New American Mandolin Ensemble
April 13, 2019

The Providence Mandolin Orchestra performs 'Synchronicity' at the Little River Music Series, May 19, 2015.

"Hymn; Page 911" by Peter Ostroushko, performed by Mark M Davis.
The instrument is a Gibson mandocello which has been re-strung as an octave mandolin (G-D-A-E).