photo by John McClain
August Watters is a multi-stylistic, improvising mandolinist, composer/arranger, and teacher based in both Boston, USA, and the Pacific Northwest (Oregon). His work as an interpreter, improviser, composer and arranger bridges contemporary classical music, jazz, folk music traditions, and the historical concert mandolin repertoire. He is the founder of the New England Mandolin Ensemble and the Festival of Mandolin Chamber Music.
As an international clinician and soloist, Watters has performed extensively in Europe, Canada, and the United States. He is also an Emmy award-winning arranger, with dozens of studio credits as arranger, orchestrator and conductor for television and film music. Watters holds a Masters of Music Education from Boston University, and a Bachelor’s of Music from Berklee College, majoring in Jazz Composition and Arranging, summa cum laude.
Watters taught at Boston's Berklee College of Music for 18 years, earning the rank of Professor, Ear Training. He is now a full-time performer, composer, and conductor specializing in music for mandolin and mandolin ensemble.
As an international clinician and soloist, Watters has performed extensively in Europe, Canada, and the United States. He is also an Emmy award-winning arranger, with dozens of studio credits as arranger, orchestrator and conductor for television and film music. Watters holds a Masters of Music Education from Boston University, and a Bachelor’s of Music from Berklee College, majoring in Jazz Composition and Arranging, summa cum laude.
Watters taught at Boston's Berklee College of Music for 18 years, earning the rank of Professor, Ear Training. He is now a full-time performer, composer, and conductor specializing in music for mandolin and mandolin ensemble.
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Activities
Author:
“New Solos for Classical Mandolin,” Hal Leonard Press, 2020.
“Progressive Melodies for Mandocello,” Amazon, 2019. (Second edition 2021)
“Exploring Classical Mandolin,” Berklee Press, 2015.
Founder: Festival of Mandolin Chamber Music, New England Mandolin Ensemble, Cape Cod Mandolin Camp, Boston Mandolins, Berklee “Acoustic String Project” Ensemble
Professor of Ear Training, Berklee College of Music (1998-2016)
Classes: ear training, ensembles, string labs, private mandolin lessons, harmony, composition
Performances and/or recordings with: Virginia Eskin, Jose Lezcano, Carlo Aonzo, Marilynn Mair, Roland White, Don Stiernberg, Matt Flinner, Steve Kaufman, Bill Keith, Butch Baldassari, Rodney Miller, Radim Zenkl, Alex Timmerman and Het Consort, Orchestra dell’ Accademia Internazionale di Mandolino, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Orchester NorthRhine Westfalia, Saarlandisches Zupforchester, and the Providence Mandolin Orchestra, Bloomfield (NJ) Mandolin Orchestra, L'Esperance Mandolin Ensemble, Munier Mandolin Orchestra.
Awards
Emmy Award: 1990, as orchestrator/conductor for Monitor News, “Best Nationally-Broadcast News Program”
Major Festival Appearances
Equinox Festival (Boston), EuroFest Bruchsal (Germany), Boston Classical Guitar Society, Pittsburg Mandolin Orchestra Festival, Cape Cod Mandolin Camp, Joe Val Bluegrass Festival (USA), European World of Bluegrass (Czech Republic) Country Palba (Czech Republic) National Thumbpicking Festival (USA) J.D. Crowe Bluegrass Festival (USA)
Presentations to
American Association for Italian Studies (Sorrento, Italy)
New School of Music (Massachusetts)
Berklee Teachers on Teaching (Massachusetts)
St. Anselm College (New Hampshire)
Vermont Public Radio
Mando Montreal (Canada)
Brattleboro Music Center (Vermont)
Scuola Gershwin, (Padua, Italy)
Classical Mandolin Society of America (Austin, TX; Montreal, Canada)
International Association of Jazz Educators (Los Angeles, USA)
Monadnock Summer Lyceum (New Hampshire, USA)
Festival of Mandolin Chamber Music (Vermont, USA)
American Mandolin and Guitar Summer School (Rhode Island, USA)
Cape Cod Mandolin Camp (Massachusetts, USA)
Steve Kaufman Acoustic Kamp (Tennessee, USA)
Boston Public Schools (Massachusetts)
Newton Public Schools (Massachusetts)
Fiddleheads Camp (New Hampshire, USA)
Fiddle Hell (Massachusetts, USA)
Banjo Camp North (Massachusetts, USA)
Education
Masters of Music Education, Boston University
Bachelor of Music, Berklee College Major: Jazz Composition & Arranging, summa cum laude
Activities
Author:
“New Solos for Classical Mandolin,” Hal Leonard Press, 2020.
“Progressive Melodies for Mandocello,” Amazon, 2019. (Second edition 2021)
“Exploring Classical Mandolin,” Berklee Press, 2015.
Founder: Festival of Mandolin Chamber Music, New England Mandolin Ensemble, Cape Cod Mandolin Camp, Boston Mandolins, Berklee “Acoustic String Project” Ensemble
Professor of Ear Training, Berklee College of Music (1998-2016)
Classes: ear training, ensembles, string labs, private mandolin lessons, harmony, composition
Performances and/or recordings with: Virginia Eskin, Jose Lezcano, Carlo Aonzo, Marilynn Mair, Roland White, Don Stiernberg, Matt Flinner, Steve Kaufman, Bill Keith, Butch Baldassari, Rodney Miller, Radim Zenkl, Alex Timmerman and Het Consort, Orchestra dell’ Accademia Internazionale di Mandolino, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Orchester NorthRhine Westfalia, Saarlandisches Zupforchester, and the Providence Mandolin Orchestra, Bloomfield (NJ) Mandolin Orchestra, L'Esperance Mandolin Ensemble, Munier Mandolin Orchestra.
Awards
Emmy Award: 1990, as orchestrator/conductor for Monitor News, “Best Nationally-Broadcast News Program”
Major Festival Appearances
Equinox Festival (Boston), EuroFest Bruchsal (Germany), Boston Classical Guitar Society, Pittsburg Mandolin Orchestra Festival, Cape Cod Mandolin Camp, Joe Val Bluegrass Festival (USA), European World of Bluegrass (Czech Republic) Country Palba (Czech Republic) National Thumbpicking Festival (USA) J.D. Crowe Bluegrass Festival (USA)
Presentations to
American Association for Italian Studies (Sorrento, Italy)
New School of Music (Massachusetts)
Berklee Teachers on Teaching (Massachusetts)
St. Anselm College (New Hampshire)
Vermont Public Radio
Mando Montreal (Canada)
Brattleboro Music Center (Vermont)
Scuola Gershwin, (Padua, Italy)
Classical Mandolin Society of America (Austin, TX; Montreal, Canada)
International Association of Jazz Educators (Los Angeles, USA)
Monadnock Summer Lyceum (New Hampshire, USA)
Festival of Mandolin Chamber Music (Vermont, USA)
American Mandolin and Guitar Summer School (Rhode Island, USA)
Cape Cod Mandolin Camp (Massachusetts, USA)
Steve Kaufman Acoustic Kamp (Tennessee, USA)
Boston Public Schools (Massachusetts)
Newton Public Schools (Massachusetts)
Fiddleheads Camp (New Hampshire, USA)
Fiddle Hell (Massachusetts, USA)
Banjo Camp North (Massachusetts, USA)
Education
Masters of Music Education, Boston University
Bachelor of Music, Berklee College Major: Jazz Composition & Arranging, summa cum laude