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Event
Achille Bocus and Friends performing on instruments of the mandolin family
PIEDMONT CENTER FOR THE ARTS IS PROUD TO PRESENT:
Achille Bocus and an ensemble of leading bay area classical mandolinists will perform an afternoon concert at Piedmont Center for the Arts on Saturday, November 9. The concert's theme is Accidentals, a celebration of music that takes surprising twists and turns when least expected.
According to conductor Bocus: Music often thrives on the unexpected, whether through the intentional use of sharps and flats or the surprising moments of inspiration that arise during its creation. This season we've put together a program that celebrates both the notes on the score and the serendipitous elements that shape the best music.
The program will feature a wide variety of surprising and engaging pieces, including:
Gavotte from Symphony 1 by Sergei Prokofiev
Nocturne in G by Giuseppe Martucci
Romanze in C for strings by Jean Sibelius
Prelude 2 by George Gershwin
Sonata X by Attilio Ballerini
Three pieces by Achille Bocus: A Little Camel Ride, Addio Milano, and Chaconne on a
Canon
About the conductor, Achille Bocus:
Raised in Milan, Italy, Achille Bocus studied mandolin, double bass, electric bass, composition and conducting. Following his studies, he went on to play double bass with some of the finest symphonic, operatic and chamber music orchestras in Italy, performing throughout Europe. From 2005 - 2008 he was conductor of the Orchestra a Plettro Città di Milano. In 2009 Achille moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he began teaching mandolin to students throughout the Bay Area with his Il Tremolo method and took up the baton for the SF Mandolin Orchestra, and now the Achille Bocus & Friends Mandolin Ensemble.
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What is a Mandolin Ensemble?
A Mandolin Ensemble is one made up of fretted, plucked instruments from the mandolin and guitar family. It is made up of sections, just like a traditional symphony orchestra: mandolins play the violin parts, mandolas play viola parts, and mandocellos and guitars play cello and bass parts. Mandolin orchestras typically play a combination of classical and popular music, and their shimmering sound offers audiences a unique listening experience.
The Achille Bocus and Friends ensemble is part of a long tradition of fretted instrument orchestras in the United States, initially prompted by the wave of immigration in the 1800s from Eastern and Southern Europe. After decades of popularity in Europe, mandolin orchestras were founded in the late 19th and early 20th century in cities and towns across the United States, and mandolin clubs were common at many colleges. Their popularity was fueled by both travelling mandolin teachers and leading guitar manufacturers (including Gibson and Martin) actively marketing the instrument across the United States.
After World War I the popularity of mandolin music declined, only to be revived by the bluegrass and folk music revival of the 1960s. Today, most major cities have mandolin orchestras, and there is a wide variety of music composed or transcribed for these ensembles.
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LocationPiedmont Center for the Arts (View)
801 Magnolia Ave
Piedmont, CA 94611
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 6 |
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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Contact
Accessibility
FULLY ADA COMPLIANT
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