About Us

The Denver Mandolin Orchestra is made up of approximately 30 members of all ages who are dedicated to making music with instruments of the mandolin family. We are currently performing about 3-5 public concerts per year. We are available for private concerts as well, please contact us for details.

In Remembrance

Manny Salzman was a founding member of the Denver mandolin Orchestra who passed away in 2018 at the age of 99 (while still an active player in the orchestra). This web site is funded by an endowment from his estate. His spirit lives on in the hearts of the DMO.

About the Mandolin

The mandolin family of instruments consists of plucked chordophones, each having eight strings in four double courses. With the exception of the mandobass, the courses are tuned in intervals of fifths, as are the strings in violin family instruments

• The soprano member of the family, the counterpart to the violin, is the mandolin, tuned G3-D4-A4-E5.
• The alto member of the family, which is the counterpart of the viola is the mandola, tuned C3-G3-D4-A4.
• The tenor member of the family is the octave mandolin, tuned G2-D3-A3-E4. It has no common counterpart in the violin family
• The baritone member of the family, which is the counterpart to the cello (also called violincello) is the mandocello, tuned C2-G2-D3-A3.
• The mandobass is relatively rare. Various versions using different ranges and intervals have made over the years. The DMO (and most mandolin orchestras) currently use a conventional stringed bass with single string courses tuned E1-A1-D2-G2.
• There are currently a few luthiers making piccolo mandolins, tuned C4-G4-D5-A5. The DMO does not have any of these in the orchestra but would certainly considering it as an addition if someone were interested in it.

Members of the DMO should be at an intermediate or higher level of playing ability. All members must be proficient at reading standard music notation. If you are interested in joining the DMO and meet these requirements please contact us.

The Denver Mandolin Orchestra rehearses at 2:30 P.M. on each of the first three Sundays of the month. We rehearse at the Grant Avenue Community Center located at 216 S. Grant Street in Denver (at the southeast corner of Cedar and Grant). Please use the south entrance from the parking lot, and go down the stairs.