Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra

Atlanta, GA

CMSA Convention Hosts in 2000

The Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra (AMO) is the performing unit of the Atlanta Mandolin Society, Inc. a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation which was founded in 1994 by a dedicated group of mandolinists to further the interest in and performance of the mandolin family of instruments and mandolin music in Georgia. AMO was started by Charley Rappaport and Bob Knysz who had a dream of starting a mandolin orchestra in this area for a long time. Atlanta had not had a mandolin orchestra since the William Griffith Orchestra disbanded around fifty years ago. William Griffith was a leading instrument instructor, performer, conductor and instrument dealer in America who lived in Atlanta. William Griffith created quite a stir in the first decades of the previous century and the AMO is establishing it's own history.

The Atlanta Mandolin Society and the AMO continue this tradition through many regional activities including: sponsoring instructional and educational programs in the local schools to teach the musical and cultural heritage of the mandolin family of instruments, sponsoring musical performances by the AMO as well as other ensembles and individual performers through a series of concerts. The Alanta Mandolin Society was the host of the 2000 CMSA convention, bringing this nations top mandolin performing units to Atlanta for the annual CMSA Convention.

AMO currently performs our "Mandolin Revue" concert series at performing arts centers all over the state of Georgia. The AMO repertoire includes a variety of musical flavors from Turn of the Century rags and marches, Classical, Latin, Irish, Jazz, Brazilian, Ethnic and seasonal compositions.

AMO is quite pleased to have Robb Smith as our conductor. He has been involved almost since our inception in 1994. Robb is a graduate of the Geneva Conservatory of Music and is a professional trombonist and performs regularly with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and other symphonic orchestras in the southeast.

Rehearsals are conducted every Monday evening.