One of the most interesting Polish pianists and composers, Marcin Masecki, and mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall, three times nominated for the Grammy award, will perform on 13 December 2020 at 8 p.m. a piece commissioned by the POLIN Museum – a tribute to the pre-war Jewish mandolin orchestra from Góra Kalwaria. The premiere of the piece, which was created as part of the "Composing Commissions" programme of the Institute of Music and Dance, will take place on the POLIN Museum Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The mandolin – today a niche instrument – has an extremely rich history and holds a special place in the history of Polish and Jewish musical culture. Mandolin orchestras played to the dance, they also accompanied the first workers' demonstrations. Learning to play the mandolin was often part of the curriculum in Yiddish schools. Mandolin was also one of the few means of musical expression available to women in pre-war Jewish communities. A hundred years ago, the mandolin was therefore a unifying, democratic and community-building instrument.
Thanks to a concert organized by the POLIN Museum, the mandolin will return to tell its forgotten story. The new mandolin music was composed by Marcin Masecki, accompanied by one of the greatest virtuosos of this instrument, Mike Marshall, leader of the Ger Mandolin Orchestra – an international mandolin orchestra, composed of the world's greatest virtuosos. The ensemble was created to commemorate the pre-war Jewish mandolin orchestra from Góra Kalwaria, whose name in Yiddish is Ger.
More information at: https://polin.pl/pl/wydarzenie/marcin-masecki-i-mike-marshall-w-holdzie-ger-mandolin-orchestra