Formed in May 2005 as the Noe Valley Plucked String Orchestra, the San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra was originally comprised of students of the mandolin teacher Nicola Swinburne, who conducts the orchestra. Later, we were joined by other mandolin and plucked-string players with a background in classical music. Our instrumentation consists of members of the mandolin family, such as the mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, and mandocello, in addition to guitars and stringed bass. Our active membership as of January 2008 is 15-20 players.

The orchestra has played at some of the best-known local concert venues, including the Capp Street Community Music Center, the Randall Museum, and the Noe Valley Ministry. The orchestra presented a workshop as part of the San Francisco Folk Festival in June 2006 and in April 2008 played in the San Francisco Mandolin Festival. Past soloists include soprano Marta Johansen, accordionist Sheri Mignano, and lutenist Alex Jenne. Guest conductors include Olga Mandrigina and Martha Rodriguez-Salazar. We're always interested in exploring new opportunities for musical collaboration; if you would like to perform with us or compose for us, please contact the director.