Evan Marshall and Brian Oberlin will play two shows at the Rainforest Arts Center on Nov. 6-7, both performances start at 7 p.m. Admission is $15, don’t miss this amazing show.
Evan J. Marshall, mandolinist
Marshall is an internationally renowned mandolin virtuoso and is widely regarded as the world’s premier solo performer on mandolin in Duo-Style. By himself, he sounds like several of the world’s finest mandolinists performing together. His stylistic signature is classical, with strong influences from the Italian and American folk traditions. Country guitar legend Chet Atkins called him “A true virtuoso, one of the few great musicians of our time.”
Inspired by Atkins and violinist Jascha Heifetz, Marshall has created a uniquely recognizable approach to solo mandolin performance that combines bass lines, chords, rhapsodic runs and tremolo melodies. He started classical violin studies at age 7 and added the mandolin at age 14.
Two of his solo mandolin recordings have been released by Rounder Records: “Evan Marshall Is the Lone Arranger,” which the Washington Post labeled “Truly dazzling,” the Raleigh-Durham Independent called “Superhuman,” and the Fresno Bee called “Mind-boggling”; and “Mandolin Magic,” which the St. Paul Pioneer Press applauded for a “Stunning mastery of interpretation.” He also has recorded four solo CDs for his own label, Mandolin Conservatory.
In 1995, Marshall made his first appearance on “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. Between 1993-2005 he was a featured soloist at Disneyland, performing his signature “William Tell Overture” Finale for about 2 million visitors to the famous Golden Horseshoe Theater during the course of 10,000 shows. He has performed and taught at numerous regional and international conferences for mandolinists, who hold Marshall in particularly high regard; Don Stiernberg has referred to him as “The Michael Jordan of the mandolin.”
About Brian Oberlin
Oberlin is an internationally acclaimed mandolin player and educator. During his 12-year professional career, he has been playing swing, bluegrass and Italian classical as a solo mandolinist and vocalist. Along with the myriad of award-winning bands and ensembles he has collaborated with throughout the United States and Europe, Oberlin also is the founder and director of the River of the West Mandolin Camp and the Oregon Mandolin Orchestra. When he is not performing, he teaches music to children and adults at art centers, cultural events, festivals, camps, music schools and academies. Originally from Grand Rapids, Mich., Oberlin now lives in Portland, Ore.
