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LME 039 is arguably the leading exponent of the classical mandolin in the UK. She was the first graduate of mandolin from Trinity College of Music, London, and was appointed as a teacher upon graduation, a post she still holds. She has played across the UK and has toured extensively across the Far and Middle East; Australia, South Africa, across Europe and in USA.

She has also frequently broadcast and recorded live for radio including BBC Radios 3 and 4, Classic FM, ABC (Australia), SABC (South Africa) and BBC Radio Scotland. She also presented her own BBC Radio 4 feature which was subsequently nominated for a Sony Award.

Alison is a Mandolin Editor for the leading UK based music publishers: Astute Music (www.astute-music.com). The mandolin catalogue was launched in 2002 and is growing all the time. It publishes a wide range of carefully selected and edited mandolin music for all abilities from beginner through to advanced levels.

In addition to concerto performances, Alison regularly gives recitals for music clubs and Festivals across the UK both solo and as a duo with Craig Ogden (guitar) or with Lauren Scott (harp) as Duo Mandala and also with Steven Devine (fortepiano/piano). She also regularly plays in opera, ballet, film scores and concert performances with the country’s leading orchestras including the Orchestras of the Royal Opera House and Opera North, the BBC orchestras, CBSO, RLPO, LSO and leading contemporary music ensembles including the London Sinfonietta and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

Recordings include: Music from the Novels of Louis de Bernières (CHAN9780) with Craig Ogden (it was pick of the week in The Daily Telegraph and Chandos’ fastest ever selling classical CD), Mandolin Concerto in G by Hummel (CHAN9925) with the London Mozart Players (Howard Shelley), also on the Chandos label; Tapestry (BBM1088), a CD of evocative British contemporary music for mandolin and harp (nominated for Editor’s choice in the Gramophone), on the Black Box label and Con Espressione (AS05), a solo CD dedicated to the Italian Romantic era. A CD entitled Calace Concertos is dedicated to the works of Raffaele Calace (1863-1934) for mandolin and piano (Steven Devine) and includes the two virtuosic concertos for the combination It was released on the Naxos label (8.570434) in Aug 2007.

As well as the Louis de Bernières CD, Alison has worked on several other projects in connection with Captain Corelli’s Mandolin including a sell-out stage show which has so far notched up well over 500 performances in several different countries and over 100 different venues. She also played on the soundtrack for the Hollywood film starring Nicholas Cage; wrote music for, and played on, a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation; appeared on a Bookmark Documentary on BBC 2 and has given many poetry and music recitals with Craig Ogden and Louis de Bernières.

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Specialist & Instrumentalist - LME 039

Performance Options:

Weddings

Live music can add so much to any occasion, turning a special occasion
into an extra special and memorable occasion.

Alison Stephens is arguably the leading exponent on the classical mandolin in the UK. She has played across the UK and around the world. She has broadcast extensively live on radio for the BBC, ClassicFM, ABC (Australia) and SABC (South Africa). She has many links with the enduring story of Captain Corelli's Mandolin including playing on the sound track for the Hollywood film staring Nicholas Cage.

Alison has an extensive repertoire and is perfectly at home playing solo during a wedding ceremony or presenting entertaining and informative private post or pre-dinner recitals. She can also be joined by a guitarist to play popluar classics such as Vivaldi Concerto in C or Concerto in D for mandolin.

Parties & Functions

Mandolin - Alison Stephens
Live Music adds so much character and spirit to any event. The mandolin is, of course, an Italian instrument. Its sound is so distinctive and unique that it immediately conjures up the essence of Italy. It is equally at home, however, on an extensive baroque repertoire which can bring an air of sophsitication to any party or event.

There surely could be no more memorable addition to your event than a pre or post-dinner recital. What a treat it could be for your guests to sit back and relax enjoying a private recital given by a world class mandolinist or a mandolin and guitar duo. The artist(s) not only play beautifully but are also talented presenters and are sure to keep your guests spell-bound.

Alternatively, if your event is held in a private home or a venue with more than one room, the artist(s) could be playing in one room, giving your guests the option to go and sit and listen or to just wander in and out. The sound would drift through to the other rooms, creating a lovely atmosphere.
Alison with her beautiful 1933 Mandolin

A few suggestions of when and where I could play to enhance your special event:

* At a drinks reception as your guests are arriving. The first thing they will hear are the delicate strains of the mandolin setting the mood.
* As a featured "concert" for up to 40 mins whilst your guests are drinking their coffee or before dinner while they are enjoying a glass of wine. This would work particularly well for more intimate/slightly smaller events. This kind of "pre or post dinner concert" forms a real centre piece to the proceedings.
* During the course of your party or event in one of the rooms, perhaps surrounded by comfortable chairs, giving your guests the chance to sit and listen or just relax

SOLO RECITALS - Please see below for full details and a choice of four themed programme titles.
Alison gives numerous lunchtime and full evening solo recitals. Her programmes are a unique mixture of music and informative introductions about the pieces, the techniques and the history of the instrument. She has performed her solo programme with great success to Music Clubs, Universities and Festivals across the UK and in the Middle and Far East. Alison uses three different instruments: her 1933 Luigi Embergher mandolin, a 2007 Martin Bowers copy of her 1764 Vincentius Vinaccia mandolin and a 1985 Pasquale Pecoraro Octave mandolin.

1) Mandolin Journey – an exploration into music for the mandolin from, and inspired by, different countries around the world. Ali also explains some of the mandolin’s many relatives from around the world including instruments such as the balalaika and bouzouki and brings two examples of some of these instruments (a Baglama from Greece and a Bandurria from Spain). In addition, the programme will look at the historical journey the instrument has made from its early popularity in the first part of the 18th century through to the present day. The programme includes music from, or influenced by, Greece, Germany, Japan, Spain, Italy and France.

2) Magical Mandolin – a light-hearted look at the mandolin’s more captivating and charming traits and repertoire. Very suited to younger or mixed audiences.

3) The Warrior Mandolin – the mandolin is more commonly connected to peacefulness, warmth and passion but has most famously been linked to war by the best-selling book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. Using this popular book as a starting point Ali investigates just how wide-spread the habit of taking the mandolin into war really was and explores the instrument’s uncanny knack of getting caught up in various conflicts right across its 300 year history.

4) The Italian Job – The mandolin is inescapably Italian both in sound and sentiment. This programme looks at what exactly makes it sound so Italian. Ali will also take the audience to different countries at various periods in history to study the effect of the Italian immigrant on the mandolin’s development and popularity across the world.


CONCERTOS - Click on the link for full details and a list of Alison's current Concerto Repertoire.
Alison has performed Concertos all over the UK, Mallorca, South Africa and in Hong Kong.

IN DUO WITH CRAIG OGDEN (GUITAR) - Click on the link for full details of the Duo's popular "Music from the Novels of Louis de Bernières" programme and other programmes for mandolin and guitar duo.
Alison and Craig have performed extensively throughout the UK, South Africa, the Middle East and Australia as a duo and can also be joined for programmes by Craig's wife, the acclaimed mezzo-soprano; Claire Bradshaw. They also present evenings of poetry and music with the best-selling author Louis de Bernieres (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) reading his favourtite poetry from Greece and South America which is interspersed and accompanied by suitable music.

SAMPLE PROGRAMME
Mandolin & Guitar:
Concerto in C, RV425
(Allegro: Largo: Allegro) Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Concerto in G, 2nd Movement J.N. Hummel (1778-1837)
Mandolin Solo:
Capriccio No.1
La Tristezza D'Inverno Pietro Denis (fl.1764-77)
Alison Stephens (b.1970)
Mandolin & Guitar:
De Aires Antiguos Eduardo Angulo (b.1954)
INTERVAL
Mandolin & Guitar:
Sonata in G
(Moderato:Largo:Allegro) Tedesco (fl.1741-1816)
El Fusagasagueno (Bambuco)
Patasd'hilo (Pasillo) Pedro Morales Pino (1863-1926)
Carlos Vieco (1905-1975)
Solo Guitar:
Nuage
A Felicidade Reinhardt arr.Dyens (b.1955)
Jobim arr.Dyens (b.1955)
Mandolin & Guitar:
Serenade op.127
(Maestoso: Minuetto: Thema con variazioni: Rondo) Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829)

DUO MANDALA - Click on the link for full details of Alison's mandolin and harp duo with Lauren Scott.
The duo formed in 1991 and has an extensive repertoire balancing innovative new works with more familiar composers and pieces including an arrangement of Handel's harp concerto and works by Corrette, Sibelius and Moskoswki. Their first CD together: Tapestry was released on the Black Box label in 2003.

SAMPLE PROGRAMME
TAPESTRY
Mandolin & Harp:
Sonata in G (after Op.4,No.6)
(Andante Allegro:Larghetto:Allegro)

G.F.Handel (1685-1759)
Dance of Limewood, Smile of Ash

P.Mitchell-Davidson (b.1948)
Harp Solo:
Chanson dans la Nuit

C.Salzedo (1885-1961)
Mandolin and Harp:
Romanza op.134

R.Calace (1863-1934)
Waltz Op.85
Mazurka Op.85

J.Sibelius (1865-1957)
INTERVAL

Mandolin and Harp:
Sonate in D Major - Les Jeux Olympiques
(Allegro:Aria:Giga)

M.Corrette (1709-1759)
Mandolin Solo:
Allegro from Sonata No.2 in A Minor

J.S.Bach (1685-1750)
Mandolin and Harp:
Ballade
Autostrada Waltz

S.Lalor
Harvest of the Quiet Eye

P.Mitchell-Davidson (b.1948)
Danses Espagnoles, Op.12, Nos.1,2 & 3

M.Moszkowski

IN DUO WITH STEVEN DEVINE (FORTEPIANO/PIANO) - Click on the link for full details and a sample programme.
Steven is one of the leading harpsichordists and fortepianists of his generation. Ali and Steven focus on the original works of Beethoven and Hummel as the core of their innovative programme. They released their first CD on the Naxos label to great acclaim in late 2007 which features the virtuosic concertos of the Neapolitan, Romantic composer Raffaele Calace.

SAMPLE FULL LENGTH PROGRAMME
Mandolin & Piano:
Sonatina in C
Sonatina in C Minor
L.V.Beethoven (1770-1827)

Solo Mandolin:
Three pieces from Estampas
(Tendresse Matinale, L'ami, El Duende)
J.C. Munoz (b.1965)

Mandolin & Piano:
Grande Sonata in C
(Allegro con Spirito: Siziliano: Rondo)

J.N.Hummel (1778-1837)
Danza dei Nani R. Calace (1863-1934)
INTERVAL
Mandolin & Piano:
Theme and Variations in D
L.V.Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Solo:
Song Without Words
F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Mandolin & Piano:
Concerto No.1, Op.113
(Marziale: Largo Mesto: Rondo)
R. Calace (1863-1934)


SAMPLE LUNCHTIME (1 hour) PROGRAMME
Sonatina in C
Sonatina in C Minor L.V.Beethoven (1770-1827)

Grande Sonata in C
(Allegro con Spirito: Siziliano: Rondo)
J.N.Hummel (1778-1837)
Concerto No.1, Op.113
(Marziale: Largo Mesto: Rondo) R. Calace (1863-1934)