The Mair-Davis Duo

Musicians:
Marilynn Mair (mandolin)
Mark M. Davis (guitar)

Recordings: Vienna Nocturne, Spanish Serenade, ZU, The Sounding Joy, Joyful Tidings, Contemporaries (LP), Picaflor (LP), Music for Guitar & Mandolin (LP)

Active from 1978-2000

The Mair-Davis Duo developed an internationally recognized ensemble sound through their unique arrangements and quirky choice of concert material. They were the first professional duo to champion the mandolin-guitar pairing as a truly classical chamber music ensemble, and established their sound as the worldwide benchmark of musicianship and artistry. Innovators and supporters of contemporary music, the Duo commissioned and recorded works from renowned composers, including Ernst Krenek, Guido Santorsola, and Stephen Funk Pearson, and performed scores of new works written especially for them.

The Duo performed in concert series and festivals throughout the USA and Europe for the duration of their career, and played twice in Japan. Their recordings, many of which are still in print, are a lasting legacy of their artistic accomplishments.

    • “Smudging the lines between folk and classical is an intrepid endeavor… Mair’s a superb mandolin player who has brought the instrument to unexpected places…” – Jim Macnie, The Providence Phoenix (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground…a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer.” – – Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Mair travels by mandolin to Brazil and brilliance… her commitment to the music shines through.” – Rick Massimo, The Providence Journal

    • “Stepping back to the 18th-century masterworks gave her the opportunity to highlight her technique with a fresh light… her playing is thoughtful, vibrant and a delight to listen to.” — Terence Pender, Mandolin Quarterly (USA)

    • “She’s a fabulous player with a wonderfully clear and lyrical sound.” – The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)

    • “Mair displays an exceptionally gifted approach to this music, using her formidable mandolin technique with grace and sensitivity…It’s the next best thing to a trip to Rio.” – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair performs Brazilian mandolin music… she plays the mandolin as an instrument for all occasions.” – Vaughn Watson, The Providence Journal (USA)

    • Bring a talented ensemble of gifted musicians together playing some of the great concertos and chamber music pieces of the 1700s, present the extraordinary classical mandolinist Marilynn Mair front and center, and you have a rare combination of the right musicians performing the right music at the right time. – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    • “Marilynn Mair é uma bandolinista americana de formação erudita” — Paulo Eduardo Neves, Agenda do Samba Choro (Brasil)

    • “Mair is unstoppable…capable of evoking any landscape, past or present, you’d care to conjure.” – Mike Caito, Providence Phoenix (USA)