Mansion Concerts Board and Artists
FY 2025=26 Mansion Concert Board of Directors
OFFICERS
Tim Alexander (President & Treasurer)
Boiling Springs, PA
tim.alexander@live.com
717-418-9670 (TIM)
Polly Alexander (Secretary)
Boiling Springs, PA
polly_alexander@comcast.net
717-418-9671 (POLLY)
AT-LARGE
Janeen Christ (Founding Board Member)
Mechanicsburg, PA
Tim Lilly
Dallas, TX
Ryan Williams
New Cumberland, PA
Steve Clay
Camp Hill, PA
Marilyn Chastek
Silver Springs Township, PA
Paul Zimmerman
Mechanicsburg, PA
Amy Gangl and Martin Gangl (as proxy)
Lititz, PA
Bill Lyle
Doylestown, PA
Miles Barel
Philadelphia, PA
MISSION:
Mansion Concerts Inc. is a central-PA-based educational and cultural performing-arts organization featuring some of the finest steel-string acoustic guitar players and acoustic/folk singer-songwriters. The organization has grown into being from a house concert series founded by the organization’s leaders. Each artist is presented in an intimate concert/performance space in the “half-round” where the audience and performer are very close. Performances have a decidedly guitar-centric educational mission, highlighting the unique and prominent contribution of the American acoustic steel string guitar to the development of many genres of instrumental music and song. Currently, Mansion Concert performances are staged only 6 times per year.
DETAILS:
Almost all featured artists are guitarists whose instrument provides creative inspiration for their instrumental performance and/or songwriting. Mansion Concerts Inc. features many of the nation’s most talented (and sadly unknown) steel string guitarists and singer-songwriters, where the guitar stands central to their craft (See 1 below). Mansion Concerts Inc. includes artists in a wide range of musical genre including (but not limited to): Roots Blues, American Jazz, Folk, Classical, Celtic, Old-Time, Appalachian, Traditional Bluegrass, Funk, Pop/Modern, World Music, Improvisational Solo and Pop/Country. See 2 below for a list of past Mansion Concerts artists.
Each concert experience features an artist making music in a uniquely intimate setting. The physical positioning of the performance space and audience is purposefully designed to enhance the exchange (educational, cultural, and social) between the artist and audience. Almost all performers in this series are educators (and/or instrumental instructors) serving as further inspiration to students attending these special events. Occasionally staged with pre-concert workshops, these evening-long gatherings are musical, social, and always educational.
In a time when modern commercial music has grown to be computer-generated, fully electronic, and artificially pitch-adjusted or compressed for data streaming purposes, these small-group live performances are presented as unique learning experiences, bringing students, listeners, and performers as close together as possible in a supportive and interactive environment. Performing artists answer questions from the audience before, during and after their performances. With a limited number of seats for any performance, each attendee is very close to the artist.
Currently, Mansion Concert performances are staged only 6 times per year, and attendance donations from students and listeners (collected before and during the concert) fully support artist fees and expenses. Board members, advisory committee members, and other volunteers regularly provide these traveling artists with overnight accommodations in/near Harrisburg. Often, but not always, the artists join a group of volunteers for a donated evening meal before or after the concert. This all-volunteer crew provides every element of performance staging, lighting, seating, sound system, snacks, and other needs typical of a house concert performance.
These performances have been staged within two historic mansions in Harrisburg (hence the trade name Mansion Concert). The rental of this space is paid fully by donations made by board members and other volunteers. Tickets are not sold, and seats are not assigned. Instead, listeners register for these events in advance, agreeing to a suggested minimum donation and often making this donation in advance of the performance. Again, this is very much like a traditional house concert with a prominent focus on the role of the American acoustic steel string guitar in the music of the evening.
Local guest guitarists and songwriters are recruited by the Board to serve as opening performers for certain concerts. The generosity of these board members, volunteers and audiences allow the organization to attract artists from around the country (and world) who might otherwise seek larger concert venues. Almost all artists who have played in past concerts were playing in Harrisburg for their very first time. And most concert attendees had never seen or heard of these artists before they attended the Mansion Concerts event.
1 -- NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF THE STEEL STRING GUITAR:
https://www.fretboardjournal.com/columns/vintage-steel-art-and-history-american-steel-string-guitar/
https://www.christchurch-guitar-lessons.com/steel-string-guitar.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel-string_acoustic_guitar
https://esomogyi.com/articles/whence-the-steel-string-guitar-part-1/
https://thelocalpickup.com/collections/steel-strings/
2 - MANSION CONCERT COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS
ROBIN BULLOCK Celtic/Classical/American Instrumental https://robinbullock.com/
TREVOR GORDON HALL Modern/Original instrumental https://trevorgordonhall.com/
PAT DONOHUE Country/Pop/Instrumental/Vocal http://www.patdonohue.com/
ED GERHARD Americana/Original Instrumental https://virtuerecords.com/
ADAM RAFFERTY Funk/Jazz/Blue/Pop Instrumental https://www.adamrafferty.com
KEVIN NEIDIG Original/Folk/Instrumental/Vocal https://kevinneidig.com/
RICHARD SMITH Country/Jazz/Gypsy https://www.richardsmithmusic.com/home
AL PETTEWAY &
AMY WHITE Appalachian/Celtic/original https://www.alandamy.com/
PIERRE BENSUSAN Celtic/Modern/World Music/ https://www.pierrebensusan.com/
TONY MCMANUS Scottish/Irish Traditional https://www.tonymcmanus.com/ MARTIN GANGL Original/Celtic Instrumental facebook.com/p/Martin-Gangl-100035002698664/
SCOTT AINSLIE American Roots Blue / Jazz https://cattailmusic.com/
PEPPINO D'AGOSTINO Italian / Modern /Instrumental/Vocal http://www.peppinodagostino.com/
SWEARINGEN & KELLI Pop/Country/Original/Vocal https://www.swearingenandkelli.com/
KATE LEE &
FORREST O’CONNOR Pop/Country/Original/Vocal http://www.oconnorlee.com/
MALLORY EAGLE Pop/Country/Original/Vocal https://malloryeagle.com/
STEVE BAUGHMAN Celtic / Irish / Scottish Instrumental http://www.celticguitar.com/
ISAAC EICHER Bluegrass/Jazz/Mndolin https://www.isaaceichermusic.com/ MURIEL ANDERSON Americana/Original Instrumental https://murielanderson.com/ LUCAS GIENOW Pop/Contemporary/Vocal https://www.lucasgienow.com/
DOUG YOUNG Americana/Original Instrumental https://dougyoungguitar.com/
ANTON EMERY Celtic / Irish / Scottish Guitar http://www.celticfingerstyleguitar.com/
SANDY SHALK Jazz/Blues/Celtic/Guitar https://sites.google.com/view/sandyshalk/home
CLIVE CARROLL English/Classical/Blues/Guitar https://clivecarroll.co.uk/index.html
JOHNSMITH Americana/Folk Vocal https://johnsmithmusic.com/
TIME SAWYER Alternative Country/Blue Grass Band http://www.timesawyer.com/
CHRISTIE LENEE Instrumental Guitar/Singer Songwriter https://christielenee.com/
LIZ LONGLEY Americana/Pop Singer/Songwriter https://www.lizlongley.com/
CHRIS WILSON Faith-based Singer/Songwriter https://www.chriswilson.us/
JAY NASH Americana Singer/Songwriter https://www.jaynash.com/
THE CALIFORNIA
GUITAR TRIO Instrumental Steel String Guitar Trio https://cgtrio.com/
THE YOUNG FABLES Americana/Pop Singer/Songwriter https://www.theyoungfables.com/
