MMS History

THE MONTANA MANDOLIN SOCIETY

A Brief History
Founded in 1999, The Montana Mandolin Society is a non profit organization. It is one of two Nationally touring mandolin ensembles in America. In their nine-year history they have performed in concert across the country at International Festivals and Mandolin Conferences. Their four acclaimed CD's are currently getting international radio airplay. The Montana Mandolin Society's roots are in community performances, schools, workshops, and concerts across Montana. From its inception, their purpose has been to educate listeners about the flexible versatility of mandolins and mandolin music. A surprising chain of events brought forth The Montana Mandolin Society. Dennis White, director, came upon a rare photo taken in 1902. The photo showed the Bozeman Mandolin and Guitar Club made up of Bozeman's early founders - local businessmen, college students, cattle ranchers, and cowboys. The photo of the old time group led to the formation of the Society. In October of 2000, The Montana Mandolin Society released their first CD, AS FAR AS I CAN See spanning a musical time line of mandolin history representative of seventeenth century to twenty first century music. The Society was nominated by both State Senators performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts www.kennedy-center.org in Washington D.C.. NPR www.npr.org featured the Society in an All Things Considered interview with Linda Wertheimer. In 2002 the Society released a second CD entitled THE BRIDGER WALTZlink, a collection that illustrates the profound inspiration we get from living in Montana. By invitation, They performed a two-week Japanese Musical Ambassador tour. Highlights of that tour were the 13th annual Kanto Mandolin Festival in Tokyo Japan, a concert at Roccoman hall in Kobe, and the Kumamoto Sister City Celebration in Kumamoto Japan. brief history page 2 In September of 2004, the Society played for the HatcHfest Film Festival www.hatchfest.org "Spirit of Montana" Gary Cooper Award Ceremony where the award was presented to Peter Fonda by Jeff Bridges. In November 2004 The Society released MOSAIC.link The music in this third CD retains the flavor of an early nineteen hundreds classical ensemble while playing a new contemporary style of chamber music drawing from bluegrass, celtic, and jazz roots. NPR's Linda Wertheimer recognized this music as “The Montana Sound”, music worth applauding and saluting as a Montana original. Their music repertoire is highly eclectic and often written and arranged by musicians from The Society. The instrumentation includes the mandolin family; mandolin, mandola, and mandocello, as well as hammered dulcimer, cello, violin, bass, and percussion. In 2006, The Montana Mandolin Society released its 4th CD, DANCE OF THE SANDHILLlink which is a musical metaphor honoring the Sandhill Crane. The cover of this CD is a Limited Edition Print “DANCING CRANES” by Montana Artist Monte Dolack. This original artwork was commissioned by Maureen and Mike Mansfield in 1995 for the Symposium of Landscapes and Communities in Asia and the Pacific Northwest. Most recently the Society is featured in the January/February 09 edition of Montana Magazine www.montanamagazine.com authored by George Cole.
	Montana Mandolin Society Ellen Theatre, 1999
	Concert Venues the Montana Mandolin Society has performed in.
	2/14/09 Bozeman, MT Ellen Theatre/John Jorgenson 11/24/08 Bozeman, MT Grace Bible Church 11/23/08 Shelby, MT Shelby HS Auditorium 2/15/08 Bozeman, MT Emerson Cultural Center 6/19/06 Helena, MT Myrna Loy Theater 4/29/06 Pendelton, OR Vert Auditorium 4/15/06 Winona Lake, IN Rodeheaver Auditorium 4/11/06 Marysville, OH Marysville High School Auditorium 4/9/06 Lewistown, PA Lewistown High School Auditorium 4/6/06 Punxsutawney, PA Punxsutawney High School Auditorium 4/5/06 Glen's Falls, NY Charles R Wood Theatre 4/4/06 Concord, NH The AUDI Concord City Auditorium 4/3/06 Rumford, ME Mountain Valley HS Auditorium 2/12/06 Bozeman, MT Willson Auditorium-Don Stiernberg 10/1/05 Longview, WA RA Long HS Auditorium 9/29/05 Bremerton, WA Bremerton Performing Arts Center 9/27/05 Coos Bay, OR Marshfield HS Auditorium 9/25/05 Los Gatos, CA United Methodist Church 9/23/05 Elko, NV Elko Civic Auditorium 9/21/05 Bullhead City, AZ Mohave HS Auditorium 9/19/05 Lompoc, CA Trinity Church 5/7/05 Great Bend, KS Great Bend Performing Arts Center 5/6/05 Denver, CO Swallow Hill Theater 2/18/05 Glendive, MT Glendive HS Auditorium 2/12/05 Bozeman, MT Willson Auditorium/Rio Trio 2/3/05 Stayton, OR Star Cinema Theatre 2/2/05 Port Angeles, WA Independent Bible Church 2/1/05 Everett, WA Everett Civic Auditorium 1/31/05 The Dalles, OR The Dalles HS Auditorium 1/19/05 San Luis Obispo, CA Christopher Coen Auditorium-Cal Poly 1/16/05 Glendale, CA Glendale HS Auditorium 1/15/05 El Cajon, CA East County Performing Arts Center 1/14/05 Sedona, AZ Future Studios Theatre 1/13/05 Payson, AZ Payson HS Auditorium 1/10/05 Harlingen, TX Harlingen Municipal Auditorium 1/9/05 McAllen, TX McAllen Civic Center 11/6/04 Belgrade, MT Belgrade HS Auditorium 10/21/04 Portage, IL Portage HS Auditorium 10/19/04 Alliance, OH Alliance HS Auditorium 10/18/04 Oil City, PA Oil City HS Auditorium 10/16/04 Waynesboro, VA First Presbyterian Church 10/14/04 Harwood, MD Southern HS Auditorium 10/13/04 Glen's Falls, NY Charles R Wood Theatre 10/12/04 Nashua, NH Edmond M Keefe Auditorium 9/2/04 Williston, ND Williston High School Auditorium 6/19/04 West Yellowstone, MT Grand Union Station 5/6/04 Yellowstone National Park Old Faithful Inn 4/18/04 Kalispell, MT Kalispell HS Auditorium 4/18/04 Kalispell, MT Kalispell HS Auditorium 4/8/04 Yellowstone National Park Old Faithful Inn 2/14/04 Belgrade, MT Willson Auditorium 12/6/03 Metaline Falls, WA Cutter Theater 10/20/03 Billings, MT Sheraton Hotel 9/26/03 Great Falls, MT University Theater 9/21/03 Livingston, MT Livingston Methodist Church 8/31/03 Ennis, MT Ennis FF Festival Grounds 7/18/03 Spokane, WA The Met Theatre 7/9/03 Sandpoint, ID The Panada Theatre 6/29/03 Red Lodge, MT Round Barn Theater 6/28/03 Sheridan, WY Sheridan College Auditorium 6/24/03 Yellowstone National Park Old Faithful Inn 3/23/03 Choteau, MT Choteau HS Auditorium 2/23/03 Havre, MT Havre HS Auditorium 2/22/03 Lewistown, MT Lewistown Presbyterian Church 1/12/03 Fort Benton, MT Ft Benton Auditorium 1/11/03 Great Falls, MT Center Stage Theater 12/5/02 Bozeman, MT Reynolds Hall 11/2/02 Red Lodge, MT Round Barn Theater 9/29/02 Hobson, MT Hobson HS Auditorium 8/5/02 Billings, MT St James Theater 7/29/02 Kumamoto, Japan Kumamoto Civic Building 7/28/02 Kumamoto, Japan Kumamoto Prefecture Hall 7/22/02 Kobe, Japan Kobe Theater 7/21/02 Hiradatzu, Japan Hiradatzu Performing Center 7/20/02 Tokyo, Japan Kanto Mandoiin Festival 7/14/02 Georgetown, MT Georgetown Chapel 6/3/02 Helena, MT Myrna Loy Theater 5/12/02 Missoula, MT University Theater 4/22/02 Red Lodge, MT Round Barn Theater 4/22/02 Bozeman, MT Reynolds Hall-President's Fine Arts 3/8/02 Big Sky, MT Soldier's Chapel Big Sky Arts 2/23/02 Gardner/Mammoth, WY Mammoth Lodge 2/14/02 Bozeman, MT Ellen Theatre/Evan Marshall 2/2/02 Lewistown, MT Montana Performing Arts Consortium 8/24/01 Washington, DC NPR All Things Considered Linda Wertheimer 8/24/01 Geneva, MD Geneva Church 8/9/01 Washington, DC Mike Mansfield Room 8/9/01 Washington, DC Millinium Stage 8/7/01 Washington, DC Kennedy Center 8/6/01 Washington, DC Senate Hart Building 8/6/01 Washington, DC Dirkson Building 7/10/01 West Yellowstone, MT Union Pacific Museum 5/12/01 Helena, MT Myrna Loy Theater 3/15/01 Red Lodge, MT Round Barn Theater 1/8/01 Helena, MT Montana State Capitol Rotunda 12/5/00 White Sulphur Springs White Sulphur HS Auditorium 12/4/00 Virginia City, MT Episcopal Church 11/9/00 Billings, MT Eastern Montana CollegeCisel Hall NPR 8/5/00 Red Lodge, MT Round Barn Theater 6/4/00 Big Sky, MT Big Sky Meadow Bandshell 5/12/00 Seattle, WA Charlotte Martin Theater 4/12/00 Ennis, MT Ennis Jazz Festival 4/8/00 Great Falls, MT Paris Gibson Arts Center 2/16/00 Dillon, MT Western Montana College Theater 2/15/00 Big Timber, MT Grand Hotel 2/13/00 Bozeman, MT Museum of the Rockies

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