Christopher Acquavella–Mandolin,Composer andEducatorChris Acquavella is a classical mandolinist, composer& educator from San Diego, California, who currentlylives inWelgesheim, Germany. He graduated First Class Honors from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music& Dance in London, England. Chris studied under the instruction of Alison Stephensandcomposition withAndrew Poppy. In 2004, Chris won the Wolfsan Foundation Music Award and was awarded the TCM TrustSilver Medal for String Studies in 2006.Chris Acquavella performs across Europe and America both in a soloand chamber music capacity.He hasconcertizedas a soloist & orchestral musician with various orchestras& ensembles throughout the world such as Duo Acquavella (DE), Dartington Festival Orchestra (UK),Detmold Landestheater (DE), Ensemble Lippe Barock (DE), GER Mandolin Orchestra (USA), Bach CollegiumSan Diego (USA), San Diego Opera (USA) and the San Diego Symphony (USA).Recordings include: Letter from London, EP (2006), Duo LaRé: In Other Words (Water Village Records,2010), Praeludium (Water Village Records, 2011),Duo Acquavella & Bach Collegium San Diego:Gimo-Samling,18th Century Sonatas and Triosonatas for Mandolin(Centaur Records,2016) and Recording of theDawn, The KensingtonEtudes Vol. 1 (Trekel Records, Sept. 2023).Chris Acquavella is the Artistic Director of the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp. He has also performedand 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 ofAmateur Musicians (VAMÖ) and the Summer School of the British BMG Federation as well as givingworkshops across the globe on his various tours.Aside fromteaching and performing on the mandolin, Chris is a composer of new works for mandolin &mandolin ensembles. He studied composition at Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, under thetuition of contemporary artist, Andrew Poppy. Up to date, Chrishas20compositions that are published byJoachim-Trekel-Musikverlag, Hamburg and Astute Music, Ltd. Some of his most popular compositions areImardin for solo mandolin (T6457), 2014 for solo mandolin (T6629), Journey to Pazardzhik for baroquemandolino (T6568), Wishes for two mandolins (am514-28), and Yutuma for zupforchester (R9430). ChrisAcquavella is co-author, along with Alison Stephens, of The Mandolin Companion (am514-25).His latestcomposition is 30 new pieces for solo mandolin and mandola calledThe Kensington Etudes (T6755),available from Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag, Hamburg.Since thelate1980s, Chris has performed as a guitarist/mandolinist butalso with many rock bands, playingboth electric guitar and bass. He released three albums for Why? Distro, Facedown Records, and Tooth andNail/Solid State Records. Chris, along with theSan Diego hardcoreband Born Blind, toured across theUnited States; headlining festivals such as Cornerstone Festival and Solid State Festival.Born Blind hasrecently had it’s 20thanniversary and continues to play in the USA.From 1994–1997, Chris played guitaron the surf punk band, The Diplomats.From 2000–2002, he played mandolin for Celtic/Bluegrass group–Clarsah, who had a residency at Dublin Square Irish Pub in San Diego’s famed Gaslamp Quarter District.Until October 2006, Chris performed and recorded with contemporary music ensemble, Izbuha includingperformances at Blackheath Halls and the Sunrise Music Festival in Glastonbury, England. In 2007, Chriswas the Artist in Residence for the Encinitas Guitar Orchestra. He was the composer and founder ofcontemporary folk ensemble, Dzveli He, which performed until 2009.
Christopher Acquavella–Mandolin,Composer andEducatorChris Acquavella is a classical mandolinist, composer& educator from San Diego, California, who currentlylives inWelgesheim, Germany. He graduated First Class Honors from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music& Dance in London, England. Chris studied under the instruction of Alison Stephensandcomposition withAndrew Poppy. In 2004, Chris won the Wolfsan Foundation Music Award and was awarded the TCM TrustSilver Medal for String Studies in 2006.Chris Acquavella performs across Europe and America both in a soloand chamber music capacity.He hasconcertizedas a soloist & orchestral musician with various orchestras& ensembles throughout the world such as Duo Acquavella (DE), Dartington Festival Orchestra (UK),Detmold Landestheater (DE), Ensemble Lippe Barock (DE), GER Mandolin Orchestra (USA), Bach CollegiumSan Diego (USA), San Diego Opera (USA) and the San Diego Symphony (USA).Recordings include: Letter from London, EP (2006), Duo LaRé: In Other Words (Water Village Records,2010), Praeludium (Water Village Records, 2011),Duo Acquavella & Bach Collegium San Diego:Gimo-Samling,18th Century Sonatas and Triosonatas for Mandolin(Centaur Records,2016) and Recording of theDawn, The KensingtonEtudes Vol. 1 (Trekel Records, Sept. 2023).Chris Acquavella is the Artistic Director of the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp. He has also performedand 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 ofAmateur Musicians (VAMÖ) and the Summer School of the British BMG Federation as well as givingworkshops across the globe on his various tours.Aside fromteaching and performing on the mandolin, Chris is a composer of new works for mandolin &mandolin ensembles. He studied composition at Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, under thetuition of contemporary artist, Andrew Poppy. Up to date, Chrishas20compositions that are published byJoachim-Trekel-Musikverlag, Hamburg and Astute Music, Ltd. Some of his most popular compositions areImardin for solo mandolin (T6457), 2014 for solo mandolin (T6629), Journey to Pazardzhik for baroquemandolino (T6568), Wishes for two mandolins (am514-28), and Yutuma for zupforchester (R9430). ChrisAcquavella is co-author, along with Alison Stephens, of The Mandolin Companion (am514-25).His latestcomposition is 30 new pieces for solo mandolin and mandola calledThe Kensington Etudes (T6755),available from Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag, Hamburg.Since thelate1980s, Chris has performed as a guitarist/mandolinist butalso with many rock bands, playingboth electric guitar and bass. He released three albums for Why? Distro, Facedown Records, and Tooth andNail/Solid State Records. Chris, along with theSan Diego hardcoreband Born Blind, toured across theUnited States; headlining festivals such as Cornerstone Festival and Solid State Festival.Born Blind hasrecently had it’s 20thanniversary and continues to play in the USA.From 1994–1997, Chris played guitaron the surf punk band, The Diplomats.From 2000–2002, he played mandolin for Celtic/Bluegrass group–Clarsah, who had a residency at Dublin Square Irish Pub in San Diego’s famed Gaslamp Quarter District.Until October 2006, Chris performed and recorded with contemporary music ensemble, Izbuha includingperformances at Blackheath Halls and the Sunrise Music Festival in Glastonbury, England. In 2007, Chriswas the Artist in Residence for the Encinitas Guitar Orchestra. He was the composer and founder ofcontemporary folk ensemble, Dzveli He, which performed until 2009.