Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra

Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra The Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra was founded in 2003 to bring the plucked string orchestra tradition back to Kalamazoo.

The Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra was founded in 2003 by Jackie Zito to bring the plucked string orchestra tradition back to Kalamazoo. The KMGO is a comprised of area musicians and is based on the mandolin orchestras that were extremely popular in the late 1800’s — early 1900’s. Our instrumentation is mandolin 1, mandolin 2, mandola, mandocello, guitar, and bass. We perform a wide varie

ty of musical styles such as classical, ragtime, world-folk, American standards, and modern. We have performed in many settings including concert series, museums, libraries, wineries, and Kalamazoo “Art Hops”. We have commissioned and premiered the following works for mandolin orchestra:

Water Music — Elizabeth Start
Passages Through Mexico — Victor Garcia
Kalamazoo Swag — James Kellaris
Concerto for Mandolin & Orchestra — Elizabeth Start
Passacaglia — Elizabeth Start
Pleasant Peninsula — John Goodin
Kalamazoo Suite — James Kellaris

We have hosted workshops and concerts by international virtuosi:

Chris Acquavella – Germany
Carlo Aonzo — Italy
Richard Walz — France
Tamara Volskaya — New York & Russia
Quartet Seasons – Bulgaria
Brian Oberlin and Evan Marshall - United States
Alon Sariel - Israel

Our very own Jackie Zito appears in this video twice! At the 3:00 mark, she talks about the history of mandolin making i...
03/30/2025

Our very own Jackie Zito appears in this video twice! At the 3:00 mark, she talks about the history of mandolin making in Kalamazoo. At the 26:00 mark, she talks about our long participation in the Fretboard Festival!

The 20-year story of Kalamazoo's Fretboard Festival is now being shared through film! Hear from local area musicians and those in the music community who hav...

Crescendo Academy of Music, who sponsors KMGO, is hiring Teaching Artists! Please see below for details.
03/26/2025

Crescendo Academy of Music, who sponsors KMGO, is hiring Teaching Artists! Please see below for details.

Crescendo Academy of Music is adding more Teaching Artists to our staff!

We are bursting at the seams with students, and need to add more music teachers! All instruments and voices are encouraged to apply; immediate needs: guitar, ukulele, percussion/drums, and piano.

Link to full position details and how to apply are in the comments!⬇

Thanks to everyone who came to our concert at the Fretboard Festival on Saturday! We even got a nice mention in Local Sp...
03/24/2025

Thanks to everyone who came to our concert at the Fretboard Festival on Saturday! We even got a nice mention in Local Spins. 😀

The festival rolled out for the 20th year with concerts, instrument vendors and workshops at Kalamazoo Valley Museum on Saturday. Recap.

We will once again be playing at the Fretboard Festival at Kalamazoo Valley Museum on March 22! We will be playing at 3:...
03/02/2025

We will once again be playing at the Fretboard Festival at Kalamazoo Valley Museum on March 22! We will be playing at 3:00 in the Museum building in the Planetarium lobby. As always, this event is free.

Full schedule for the Festival is at the link below.

Welcome to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Discover life’s wonder through the stories and experiences that bring us together.

11/03/2024

As a friendly reminder, we will be playing two concerts next weekend!

Saturday, Nov 9 at 7:00 pm at the Carnegie Center for the Arts in Three Rivers.
~and~
Sunday, Nov 10 at 2:00 pm at Parchment Community Library at 2:00 pm.

Hope to see you there!

Our second upcoming concert is Parchment Community Library on Sunday November 10 at 2:00 pm. This concert is free!More d...
10/27/2024

Our second upcoming concert is Parchment Community Library on Sunday November 10 at 2:00 pm. This concert is free!

More details at the link below.

Free concerts begin at 2:00 p.m. and are one hour long. Doors are open 1:30-2:15 p.m. On Sunday, November 10 we feature the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra! Come on back for more concerts: December 8: Allegan Brass Collective January 12: The Birdseed Salesmen February 9: Emily Ickes March 9:...

We have two concerts coming up and we hope to see you there! The first will be at the Carnegie Center for the Arts in Th...
10/27/2024

We have two concerts coming up and we hope to see you there! The first will be at the Carnegie Center for the Arts in Three Rivers, on November 9 at 7:00pm.

Please see the link below for more details and ticket information.

A modern take on a traditional American art form Date: Saturday, November 9th, 2024 Time: 7:00PM Tickets: $15 per person

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Kalamazoo, MI

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