CATERINA LICHTENBERG | www.caterinalichtenberg.de

Caterina Lichtenberg is one of the premier classical mandolinists in the world today. As a featured soloist, Ms. Lichtenberg has performed with the New Century Orchestra under Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, the LA Guitar Quartet, the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester of Frankfurt, under Diego Fasolis, and the Aachen Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed with the Dresden Symphony Orchestra, the MDR Orchestra under Fabio Luisi, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly, the MDR Sinfonie Orchestra under Howard Arman, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Lorin Maazel, and with Art Garfunkel on live German TV. 

Caterina currently holds the only position in the world for Classical Mandolin at the Music Conservatory in Cologne, Germany and also teaches online through the ArtistWorks video exchange system where students can get personal feedback on their playing from Caterina from the company’s patented Video Exchange System.

She has also been a juror and a sought-after lecturer/teacher at numerous events around the world including the European Plucked String Orchestra in Logroño (Spain) and Bologna (Italy), the International Mandolin Festival in Kobe (Japan), The International Mandolin Convention in Washington, Minneapolis and San Diego (USA), The Mandolin Symposium in Santa Cruz California and she has been a part of the Swannanoa Gathering Mando & Banjo Week since its inception. Caterina also has published numerous instructional books and filmed two DVD instructional videos for Homespun Tapes company. 

Caterina’s solo cds are some of the most important recordings of classical mandolin music of our time and she continues to push the boundaries of her instrument and expand the mandolin repertoire.

To date, Caterina has released 10 CDs under her own leadership in a variety of chamber music settings, five with guitarist Mirko Schrader. As a specialist on early period instruments, Caterina was invited to record on a 1775 mandolin from the Ferdinandeum Museum in Innsbruck, Austria.

With her current musical partner, Mike Marshall she has recorded 3 Cds on the Adventure Music label. They have performed at the Schleswick-Holstein Festival in Germany with violinist Daniel Hope, The Rome Chamber Music Festival with Edgar Meyer, The Carmel Bach Festival, the Rockygrass, Grand Targhee and Wintergrass Bluegrass festivals, the Savannah Music Festival, The Festival de Mandolins de Lunel France and the Baroque Festival in Santa Cruz, CA

In 2017 Caterina and Mike launched their international Mandolin educational event called the Mandolin World Retreat. This exquisite gathering of mandolin students and teachers meets in very special locations around the world. The first two took place in Napa Valley, California and their next one will be in Sicily, Italy!

Their musical collaborations blur the lines between classical, jazz, bluegrass and Brazilian musical styles. They have released three cds together and balance their touring life with raising their two beautiful daughters, Josefine and Pauline.

MIKE MARSHALL

Mike Marshall is one of the most accomplished and versatile mandolinists in the world today. Since 2011, Mike has taught hundreds of mandolinists from around the world through his Mike Marshall School of Mandolin online website at ArtistWorks.com There, students from around the world get access to Mike through a video exchange system and receive direct comments about their playing from Mike personally. 

A master of mandolin, guitar, mandocello and violin, Mike is a living compendium of musical styles and has created some of the most adventurous and interesting instrumental music in America today. Mike seamlessly blends his American roots background with a deep understanding of European classical, American Jazz and Pop styles and Brazilian and other world musics. 

Mike cut his teeth on traditional American music in Florida and at age 19 he was snatched up by the groundbreaking David Grisman Quintet to tour and record with jazz violin legend Stephane Grappelli. Since then, Mike has produced over 40 of his own recordings on the Sony Classical, Rounder, Sugar Hill, Compass, Windham Hill, and his own Adventure Music label and performed and recorded with Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Chris Thile, Hamilton De Holanda, Darol Anger, Joshua Bell, Mark O’Connor, Vasen and the Turtle Island Quartet.

Mike co-founded The Montreux Band, The Modern Mandolin Quartet, New Grange, The Big Trio and Psychograss as well as director of the Mandolin Symposium with David Grisman a seminar ran that from 2000 – 2012. 

In 1995, after a trip to Brazil, Mike fell in love Brazilian Choro music and went on spear-head a Choro Renaissance here in the U.S. with his group Choro Famoso as well as other collaborations, concerts, workshops and publications.

Mike is currently the director of the American Music Seminar at the Savannah Music Festival, where each spring he hand-selects 16 of the hottest young acoustic musicians from all over the country to meet for a week-long intensive. 

Mike tours and records these days with his wife, German Classical mandolin virtuoso Caterina Lichtenberg. Together these two are bridging their very different mandolin worlds into a cohesive whole while chasing after their two beautiful daughters Josefine and Pauline.

They have three cds on the Adventure music label including one of all Johann Sebastian Bach duets for Mandolin and Mandocello. The most recent, Third Journey features an eclectic collection of classical music, Americana, Brazilian and original compositions.

Their latest venture, the Mandolin World Retreats, an exquisite education mandolin gathering at fabulous locations around the world.