You are very welcome to Venice!

THE VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL

Concerts in Venice 4 - 7 May 2022

THE CONCEPT

THE VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL INVITES:

Music lovers and amateur players of mandolin, mandola and guitar of all levels, mandolin & guitar orchestras, professional soloists and conductors from all over the world to enjoy great music and art in Venice in the spring 2022.

DO YOU AND YOUR MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA WANT TO PLAY IN ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES?

Please,  come to Venice and play concerts in churches and palaces! Or play Verdi and Puccini in a big mandolin orchestra in a Venetian palace during a gala evening in the spirit of The Carnival of Venice. In the spring of 2022, we will open a new and unique Mandolin Festival in Venice for everyone who loves playing mandolin, mandola and guitar. Venice Mandolin Festival arranges an entire concert festival and invites mandolin orchestras from all over the world to exchange concerts and cultural exchanges between different countries. Do you want to take part in this exciting mandolin project and create international friendships and powerful musical experiences? In that case, contact us and we will tell you more about how this festival works. Everyone is welcome to join this friendly and fine musical community!

PLEASE, COME YOURSELF AND PLAY IN THE VENICE MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA!

We also arrange concerts in The Venice Mandolin Festival with a project mandolin orchestra consisting of individual mandolin, mandola and guitar players, small groups or merged orchestras. The project orchestra, here called - Venice Mandolin Festival Orchestra - is open to everyone.

EXAMPLES OF REPERTORY: BAROQUE, CLASSIC, OPERA, NEAPOLITAN SONGS & MUSIC BY KUWAHARA!

Mandolin concertos by Venetian 18th century composers like Vivaldi and Hasse, "The Song of Japanese Autumn" by Kuwahara among others. In the mandolin & opera gala concerto and party with buffé, in a Venetian palace, we will play all together with Italian opera singers, string and wind players from Opera da Camera di Venezia. The party repertory includes hits from the opera world, like The Prisoners' Choir from Nabucco, Brindisi, the drink song from La Traviata, Nessun Dorma from Turandot, and more, and Canzone napoletane (Neapolitan songs) such as O Sole Mio, Torna a Surriento, Canta pè me, Santa Lucia, Funiculi Funicula and more. We are also open to repertoire suggestions from you. Please give us proposals.

IF ANYTHING IS NOT CLEAR?

It is not easy to explain everything and make it clear in a website, so please contact us with your questions about The Venice Mandolin Festival.

We are very happy to try to answer your questions. Don't hesitate to ask everything you wonder about! 

INFORMATION

THE GALA CONCERT AND THE CARNIVAL PARTY IN A VENETIAN PALACE

A joint concert and party with The Opera da Camera di Venezia & artists from The Carnevale di Venezia

Our Italian musicians and opera soloists in Opera da Camera di Venezia and all dancers and artist in Carnevale di Venezia, are all humble,

very friendly and professional artists. Everyone is used to make music and collaborate with soloists, choirs and mandolin orchestras

both in Venice and abroad. The collaboration and exchange concerts have been going on since 1998.

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

4 - 7 May 2022

* * *

I N A G U R A T I O N  &  O P E N I N G  C O N C E R T 

Mandolin music by Italian 18th century composers

Wednesday 4 May 19:30 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The mandolin orchestra from Sweden / Italy

CAMERATA MANDOLINO CLASSICO

Maxine Rizzotto - conductor

&

Guest soloists from Russia

Natalia Marashova - baroque mandolin

Emil Galimzanov 10 years old - violin

Concert program - Music by

Antonio Vivaldi - Andante from Concerto in Do maggiore per molti strumenti

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in Do maggiore per mandolino, archi e cembalo

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in Sol maggiore per violino, archi e cembalo

Giovanni Paisiello - Konzert Es-Dur fur Solo-Mandoline und Zupforchester

Antonio Maria Giuliani - Concerto in Mi maggiore per 2 mandolini, viola e orchestra

* * *

L E C T U R E

Venetian 18th century Mandolin Music

Thursday 5 May 9:30 Chiesa di Ognissanti

Lecture about the compositions for mandolin by the Venetian

composers Vivaldi, Hasse & Paolucci and the status

of the mandolin in the 18th century Venice

Lars Forslund - lecturer

* * *

R E H E A R S A L

Venetian 18th century Mandolin Music & The gala concert program

Thursday 5 May 10:30 - 13:00 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Natalia Marashova / Robert Neff / Birgit Wendel /

Rene Izquierdo / Maxine Rizzotto - conductors

Rehearsal program - Music by

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in Re maggiore per chitarra, orchestra e cembalo. Maxine Rizzotto - conductor
Giuseppe Paolucci - Trio G-Dur fur Zupforchester & cembalo. Maxine Rizzotto - conductor
Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in Sol maggiore per due mandolini, orchestra e cembalo. Maxine Rizzotto - conductor
Johann Adolf Hasse - Konzert G-Dur fur Solo-Mandoline, Zupforchester & cembalo. Maxine Rizzotto - conductor

Giuseppe Verdi - Brindisi, from La Traviata. Robert Neff - conductor 

Giuseppe Verdi - The prisoners choir from Nabucco. Robert Neff - conductor 

Giaccomo Puccini - Nessun Dorma from Turandot. Robert Neff - conductor 

Eduardo di Capua - O Sole Mio. Maxine Rizzotto - conductor 

Ernesto De Curtis - Torna a Surriento. Rene Izquierdo - conductor 

Ernesto De Curtis - Canta pè me. Lars Forslund - conductor 

Theodoro Cottrau - Santa Lucia. Natalia Marashova - conductor 

Luigi Denza - Funiculi Funicula in F major. Birgit Wendel - conductor 

* * *

C O N C E R T

Venetian 18th century Mandolin Music

Thursday 5 May 16:00 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Maxine Rizzotto - conductor

&

Guest soloist from USA

Rene Izquierdo - guitar

Concert program - Music by

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in Re maggiore per chitarra, orchestra e cembalo
Giuseppe Paolucci - Trio G-Dur fur Zupforchester & cembalo

&

The mandolin orchestra from Germany

JUGENDZUPFORCHESTER BADEN-WÜRTTENBERG

Birgit Wendel - conductor

&

Duo by two teachers from the orchestra 

Sonja Wiedemer - mandolin / Jonas Khalil - guitar

Concert program duo - Music by

Manuel de Falla - La Vida Breve

Jacob do Bandolim - Benzinho

Raffaele Calace - Pavana / Réverence

Concert program orchestra - Music by

 Jürg Kindle - Kalimba

 Ricardo Sandoval - Bumbac

Yasuo Kuwahara - Novemberfest

Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonatine in c-Moll

Duo for mandolin & guitar - program to be decided

Christopher Grafschmidt - Hau ruck!

Marius Kirsten - Spätzle Arrabbiata (premiere)

Astor Piazolla - Libertango

Christopher Grafschmidt - Skabbalabaster

* * *

C O N C E R T

Venetian 18th century Mandolin Music

Thursday 5 May 19:30 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Maxine Rizzotto - conductor

&

Guest soloists from Russia and Austria

Natalia Marashova - mandolin / Thekla Schirz - mandolin

Concert program - Music by

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in Sol maggiore per due mandolini, archi (ZO) e cembalo
Johann Adolf Hasse - Konzert G-Dur fur Solo-Mandoline, Zupforchester & cembalo

&

The mandolin orchestra from Germany

MANDOLINEN ORCHESTER NIEDERKASSEL e. V.

Robert Neff - conductor

Concert program to be decided - Music by?

* * *

L E C T U R E

The Gimo Collection

Friday 6 May 9:30 Chiesa di Ognissanti

Lecture about the The Gimo Collection from Gimo castle, Sweden. The world's

biggest collection of Italian mandolin music from the 18th century. The Gimo

Collection is now keept in the library of Uppsala University, Sweden

Lars Forslund - lecturer

* * *

R E H E A R S A L

The Gimo Collection

Friday 6 May 10:30 - 13:00 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Natalia Marashova / Robert Neff / Birgit Wendel /

Rene Izquierdo / Maxine Rizzotto - conductors

Rehearsal program - Music by

Giovanni Battista Gervasio - Trio in Re maggiore per due Mandolini (ZO) e Basso Continuo. Birgit Wendel - conductor
Carlo Cecere - Concerto en La majeur pour Mandoline et Orchestra a plectre. Birgit Wendel - conductor

Vito Ugolino - Concerto in Sol maggiore per mandolino, 2 violini (ZO) e B.C. Birgit Wendel - conductor
Domenico Gaudioso - Concerto G-Dur fur Mandoline, Zupforchester & cembalo. Birgit Wendel - conductor

Giuseppe Verdi - Brindisi, from La Traviata. Robert Neff - conductor 

Giuseppe Verdi - The prisoners choir from Nabucco. Robert Neff - conductor 

Giaccomo Puccini - Nessun Dorma from Turandot. Robert Neff - conductor 

Eduardo di Capua - O Sole Mio. Maxine Rizzotto - conductor 

Ernesto De Curtis - Torna a Surriento. Rene Izquierdo - conductor 

Ernesto De Curtis - Canta pè me. Lars Forslund - conductor 

Theodoro Cottrau - Santa Lucia. Natalia Marashova - conductor 

Luigi Denza - Funiculi Funicula in F major. Birgit Wendel - conductor 

* * *

C O N C E R T

The Gimo Collection

Friday 6 May 16:00 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Birgit Wendel - conductor

&

Guest soloist from Russia

Natalia Marashova - mandolin

Concert program - Music by

Giovanni Battista Gervasio - Trio in Re maggiore per due Mandolini (ZO) e Basso Continuo
Carlo Cecere - Concerto en La majeur pour Mandoline et Orchestra a plectre

&

The mandolin orchestra from USA

MILWAUKEE MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA

Rene Izquierdo - conductor

Concert program to be decided - Music by?

* * *

C O N C E R T

The Gimo Collection

Friday 6 May 19:30 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Birgit Wendel - conductor

&

Guest soloist from Germany

Antonia Platzdasch - mandolin

Concert program - Music by

Vito Ugolino - Concerto in Sol maggiore per mandolino, 2 violini (ZO) e B.C.
Domenico Gaudioso - Concerto G-Dur fur Mandoline, Zupforchester & cembalo

&

The mandolin orchestra from Austria

SALZBURGER MANDOLINEN ORCHESTER

 Gerhard Heitzinger / Natalia Marashova - conductors

&

Soloists from Austria and Russia

Paula Wesseley - mandolin

Yulia Merten - mandolin

Natalia Marashova - mandolin

Concert program - Music by

Fabritio Caroso - "Il Ballarino“

Francesco Eterardi - "Echo Concerto“ 2 & 3 Movement

Italian Dances: Anonymus - "La morte de la Regione“

Fabritio Caroso - "Balle del Fiore"

Cesare Negri - "Catena d’Amore"

Cesare Negri - "Bianco Fiore“

Valentin Röser - Sonata IV

Marco Uccelini - "Aria Sopra la Bergamasca“

* * *

L E C T U R E

Kuwahara sensei - My Mandolin Teacher

Saturday 7 May 9:30 Chiesa di Ognissanti

Lecture about the compositions of Yasuo Kuwahara

and the status of the mandolin in Japan

Lars Forslund - lecturer

* * *

R E H E A R S A L

Japanese Music

Saturday 7 May 10:30 - 13:00 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Natalia Marashova / Maxine Rizzotto - conductors

Rehearsal program - Music by

Yasuo Kuwahara - "The Song of Japanese Autumn". Natalia Marashova - conductor

Lars Forslund - "Sakura Suite". Maxine Rizzotto - conductor

* * *

C O N C E R T

Japanese Music

Saturday 7 May 16:00 Chiesa di Ognissanti

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Natalia Marashova / Maxine Rizzotto - conductors

Concert program - Music by

Yasuo Kuwahara - "The Song of Japanese Autumn"

Lars Forslund - "Sakura Suite"

&

The mandolin orchestra from Sweden / Italy

CAMERATA MANDOLINO CLASSICO

Maxine Rizzotto - conductor

&

Guest soloist from Italy

Carlo Aonzo - mandolin

Concert program - Music by

Antonio Vivaldi - "Le quattro stagioni - The four seasons" in style of a

Concerto campagnolo / Countryside Concert

A special edition for mandolin solo with an orchestra belonging of

strings, harpsichord, mandolins, mandolas, guitars, ocarina, oboe,

cornamusa (bag pipe), flauto dolce and percussion instruments

* * *

G A L A  C O N C E R T  &  C A R N I V A L  P A R T Y

An Italian Mandolin and Opera Gala

Saturday 7 May 19:30 Gala concerto in a Venetian palace 

All participants in The Venice Mandolin Festival

Opera da Camera di Venezia & Opera soloists

Dance Masters in 18th century costumes

Artists from Carnevale di Venezia

All the conductors of the festival

Maxine Rizzotto, Robert Neff, Rene Izquierdo, Birgit Wendel,

Natalia Marashova & Stefano Squarzina

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Gala Concert program - Music by

Giuseppe Verdi - Brindisi, from La Traviata. Robert Neff - conductor 

Giuseppe Verdi - The prisoners choir from Nabucco. Robert Neff - conductor 

Giaccomo Puccini - Nessun Dorma from Turandot. Robert Neff - conductor 

The mandolin orchestra from Germany
MANDOLINEN ORCHESTER NIEDERKASSEL e. V.
Robert Neff - conductor
(Your own free choice of repertory. From 5 to maximum 10 minutes)

The chamber orchestra from Venice, Italy
OPERA DA CAMERA DI VENEZIA
Roberto Barison - dance master  / Lorenzo Parravicini - conductor 
(Dancemusic from the 18th century by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and others)

The mandolin orchestra from Germany

JUGENDZUPFORCHESTER BADEN-WÜRTTENBERG
Birgit Wendel - conductor

Gala Concert program - Music by
Christopher Grafschmidt - Hau ruck! / Ricardo Sandoval - Bumbac

The mandolin orchestra from USA
MILWAUKEE MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA

Rene Izquierdo - conductor
(Your own free choice of repertory. From 5 to maximum 10 minutes)

The mandolin orchestra from Austria
SALZBURGER MANDOLINEN ORCHESTER

Gerhard Heitzinger - conductor / Natalia Marashova - mandolin soloist

Gala Concert program - Music by

Niccolò Paganini - Il carnevale di Venezia, Op.10

The international mandolin orchestra

VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA

Eduardo di Capua - O Sole Mio. Maxine Rizzotto - conductor 

Ernesto De Curtis - Torna a Surriento. Rene Izquierdo - conductor 

Ernesto De Curtis - Canta pè me. Lars Forslund - conductor 

Theodoro Cottrau - Santa Lucia. Natalia Marashova - conductor 

Luigi Denza - Funiculi Funicula in F major. Birgit Wendel - conductor 

The chamber orchestra from Venice, Italy
OPERA DA CAMERA DI VENEZIA
Roberto Barison - dance master  / Lorenzo Parravicini - conductor 
(Dancemusic & Wiener Walzer by Richard Strauss, Nino Rota and others)

In colaboration with Opera da Camera di Venezia

& artists from The Carnival of Venice

1. * * *

PURE ENJOYMENT

The Festival ends with an 18^th century style gala. It's a private party, like the ones Venetian aristocrats 200 years ago would have enjoyed. The revellers this time are the participants in the Venice Mandolin Festival, the Opera da Camera di Venezia, with soloists and dancing masters, performers from the renowned Carnival in Venice - many in period dress - and you and your friends.

THIS SPECIAL EXPERIENCE WILL TRANSPORT YOU INTO THE HEYDAY OF VENETIAN EXTRAVAGANCE

Do like the well-to-do Venetians did in Vivaldi’s time. Feel free to eat, drink and move around during the performance, as long as you don’t create a disturbance. This was the way they did things in the 18^th century. Everything was for cultivated enjoyment, and food, drink, music and spectacle all combined into a single experience.

In the splendour of a Venetian palace, where the banquet tables are overflowing with the finest Italian delicacies and refreshments, the guests also enjoy the finest entertainment - the finest operatic soloists and an orchestra complete with strings and wind instruments, and of course the mandolin and harpsichord.

ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH!

The Opera da Camera di Venezia is made up of singers and instrumentalists of international standard, who perform regularly in La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice and the Opera in Rome. The orchestra consists of first class Italian musicians.

DANCING MASTER ROBERTO BARISON IS A VENETIAN ORIGINAL

He and his dance associates, Ricercardanzando, are among Italy’s most celebrated dance ensembles. They will introduce you to the delights of the 18^th century ballroom. They know what you need to know to get started, and under their gentle but masterful expert guidance, you will soon forget yourself and be part of the revelry as much as the experienced dancers.

IN MASCHERA - A MASKED BALL

In a palace illuminated by hundreds of candles, the guests dance an elegant and stately minuet - that most courtly of courtly dances. If you want to dress up in 18^th century style, or wear fanciful costumes and fantastic head-gear or masks - just anything suitable to the cultivated madness of a Carnival in Venice - feel free. Do whatever your imagination desires.

Reservation for any changes

* * *

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DRESS IN INSPIRATION

of a Venetian masquerade ball

SOME OF THE SINGERS OF THE FESTIVAL

Caterina Piva - mezzosprano & Go Eun Lee - soprano

THE DANCE ENSEMBLE RICERCARDANZANDO

Dance master Roberto Barison from Venice and his dance ensemble

Ricercardanzando belong to one of Italy's most

requested dance ensembles.

* * *

CAMERATA MANDOLINO CLASSICO PLAYS VIVALDI & BACH

A mandolin and guitar orchestra from Sweden - Lars Forslund, conductor

A MANDOLIN & OPERA GALA CONCERTO WITH CARNIVAL PARTY AND BUFFÉ 

We will hold the mandolin & opera gala concerto and the carnival party in a Venetian palace

LARS FORSLUND PLAYS BACH - AN INSPIREING WINE CONCERTO

Lars plays on a mandolin built by Gabriele Pandini, Italy

LARS FORSLUND PLAYS BACH - AN INSPIREING CAFÉ CONCERTO

Lars plays on a mandolin built by Gabriele Pandini, Italy

LARS FORSLUND PLAYS SCARLATTI WITH VENETIAN FRIENDS

Lars plays on a mandolin built by Daigoro Ochiai, Japan

THE VENICE MANDOLIN FESTIVAL

Concerts in Venice 4 - 7 May 2022

Please contact us with your questions about The Venice Mandolin Festival.

We have much more to tell you about the organisation, soloists,

orchestras, concerts, repertory, the big party and so on.

We are very happy to try to answer your questions.

Don't hesitate to ask everything you wonder!

KEITH HARRIS AND STEPHEN MOREY PLAY VIVALDI

Concerto for two mandolins in G, with the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra, conductor Werner Ruecker - Melbourne 1989

CAMERATA MANDOLINO CLASSICO PLAYS NÄSLUND

Concerto for guitar, Kenneth Frejd - guitar, Keith Harris - conductor - Omberg, Sweden 2007

WATCH OUR VIDEOS

Beautiful 3D films about The Carnival of Venice in the 18th century. Or play along to our soundtracks.

Music by Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Näslund and others