• 2018 San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp

    2018 San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp

    San Diego, Calif. — The 2018 San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp, led by classical mandolinist, composer and educator Chris Acquavella, will take place July 30 - August 5 at the Town and Country Resort Hotel.

    The 7th Annual San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp will explore the depth and breadth of the classical mandolin, from baroque to modern times, through five days of classes, orchestra rehearsals, and evening concerts.

    SDCMC is very excited to welcome Dutch virtuoso, Sebastiaan de Grebber, as the SDCMC special guest artist. Sebastiaan holds a Master of Music with Distinction (cum laude) in mandolin performance from the Messiaen Academie in Zwolle. He has also studied with well-known Italian mandolinist, Ugo Orlandi, at the Conservatorio 'C. Pollini' in Padova, Italy. Sebastiaan is currently a teacher at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Zwolle. Sebastiaan is the concertmaster of HET Consort as well as the director of the Kamper Mandoline en Gitaar Orkest.

    Also joining the SDCMC artist staff this year will be musicologist and mandolinist, Dr. Stefanie Acquavella-Rauch. She has been performing for over 15 years and is the musical director of the ensemble "Spätlese," a state orchestra of the plucked-string federation of the German state of Hesse. As a mandolin instructor Stefanie's aim is to pass on the joy of making music without pressure and stress.

    Master luthier, Brian N. Dean, will be returning to the SDCMC staff. Brian has been quietly building for some of the finest talents in the mandolin world. He is one of North America's premier instrument builders and artisans. Brian's desire and willingness to look outside the box but still respect tradition makes him one of the most creative luthiers today.

    SDCMC strives to create a fun musical experience for mandolinists of all ages and abilities. Chris, Stefanie and Sebastiaan are fantastic teachers and performers. They will lead you through a well thought out curriculum of the classical mandolin's technique and repertoire, as well as music history. Throughout the week, there will be featured artist concerts with the final evening culminating with the SDCMC orchestra performance.

    Tuition for the SDCMC is $450, which includes breakfast, all classes, orchestra rehearsals and performance, music/class materials and evening concerts. All participants will also receive a free SDCMC T-shirt. Tuition cost does not include lunch/dinner or lodging. The Town and Country Resort Hotel is offering a special room rate for SDCMC participants. Please visit the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp website for more information and to register online.

    NOTE: Full tuition scholarships are available for participants under the age of 20 years old. Please contact Chris Acquavella directly through his web site to inquire. If you would like to donate to the scholarship fund, please visit the SDCMC website for more information.

    Class syllabus and schedule, as well as orchestra repertoire will be announced in the very near future on the SDCMC website and Facebook page.

    2018 San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp Instructors

    L-R: Camp Director Chris Acquavella, Sebastiaan de Grebber, Dr. Stefanie Acquavella-Rauch, Brian Dean

    2018 San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp Instructors

    2018 SDCMC Artist Bios

    Chris Acquavella - graduated First Class Honors from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. Chris mandolin studied under the instruction of Alison Stephens and composition with Andrew Poppy. He won the Wolfsan Foundation Music Award; was awarded the TCM Trust Silver Medal for String Studies and won 1 st Prize at the 2016 Call For Scores hosted by the Kalamazoo Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra. Chris Acquavella has released four CDs and is currently a recording artist for America’s oldest and largest independent classical label, Centaur Records, Inc. Chris has performed and taught workshops at the Classical Mandolin Society of America Conventions, River of the West Camp, the David Grisman & Mike Marshall Mandolin Symposium, the annual course of the Austrian Federation of Amateur Musicians (VAMÖ) and the Summer School of the British BMG Federation. Acquavella is a published composer of new mandolin repertoire through Joachim- Trekel-Musikverlag, Hamburg and Astute Music Ltd, UK. 2014 by C. Acquavella:


    Sebastiaan de Grebber - Sebastiaan de Grebber is a Dutch mandolinist who can be considered a true ambassador of the virtuosic and original Italian mandolin repertoire of the 20th Century. Sebastiaan holds a Bachelor Degree in music education and a Master of Music with Distinction (cum laude) in mandolin performance. He has studied with Alex Timmerman at Centre for Arts education The Muzerie, at the Conservatory at the Constantijn Huygens College of the Arts, and at the Messiaen Academie in Zwolle. Sebastiaan has also studied with well-known Italian mandolinist, Ugo Orlandi, at the Conservatorio ‘C. Pollini’ in Padova, Italy. In August 2006, de Grebber was awarded first prize at the Amsterdam Uitmarkt Chamber Music Concours. He has released two solo albums and is also featured on several albums with the Het Consort. Sebastiaan de Grebber is currently a music education and mandolin teacher at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Zwolle. He is the concertmaster of HET Consort as well as the director of the Kamper Mandoline en Gitaar Orkest. Sebastiaan de Grebber performs mandolin solo, duo and Quintet recitals and concerts with Eva van den Dool (piano).


    Dr. Stefanie Acquavella-Rauch - has been performing as a soloist and with several ensembles around the world for over 15 years. Stefanie is one part of Duo Acquavella and a member of the world music ensemble Vinorosso. As a regular guest at various international courses she teaches the mandolin and the mandola as well as music history. Stefanie has taught at the Classical Mandolin Society of America Conventions, the annual course of the Austrian Federation of Amateur Musicians (VAMÖ), the Summer School of the British BMG Federation as well as various courses in Germany. Stefanie is the musical director of the ensemble “Spätlese”, a state orchestra of the plucked-string federation of the German state of Hesse. Apart from being a classical mandolinist, Dr. Stefanie Acquavella-Rauch is a professor of musicology at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz and the Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur Mainz.


    Brian Dean - Brian Dean of Labraid has been quietly building for some of the finest talents in the mandolin world. His philosophy is simple: "
    don't complicate it." Each mandolin is brought to life from the rawest of lumber and metals, shaped unhurriedly by hand tools, and tuned to resonant golden standards by self-taught methods. He is one of North America’s premier instrument builders and artisans. Brian has a growing list of professional musicians such as Joseph Brent, Chris Acquavella and Julien Martineau, who perform on Labraid instruments with pride. Brian’s desire and willingness to look outside the box but still respect tradition makes him one of the most creative luthiers today. His skilled work is very original, unique and earthy, soulfully organic and powerful in tone and volume. Each instrument he builds is elegant and has a unique voice. Brian is a real down-to- earth, humble craftsman and artist. Brian Dean holds a Bachelor's degree in Wood Science from Virginia Polytechnic, 2000, cum laude.


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