Four nationally-known multi-instrumentalists will headline the seventh annual March Mandolin Festival at the Concord Community Music School. This year, the festival features Radim Zenkl, Seth Austen, Skip Gorman and David Surette. The festival concert, open to the public, takes place in the Music School’s Recital Hall on Saturday, March 7th, at 7:30 pm. The Concord concert follows a festival concert at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Friday, March 6th.

This two-day event offers group lessons, workshops on a variety of topics, and jam sessions, in addition to the public concert on Saturday evening. Saturday workshops include Mandolin Technique and Speed Development, Developing a Classic Bluegrass Sound, Group Tunes, Right Hand Picking Techniques, Exploring the Blues and Irish Jigs and Slip Jigs, to name only a few. Rolfe Gerhardt and Jenny Warner of Phoenix Mandolins will be available all day Saturday to assist participants with care and repair issues. Sunday morning will offer a chance to consolidate Saturday’s events, compare notes and play through the group tunes together. The Festival will close at 12:30 pm on Sunday.

David Surette, festival organizer and recording artist, is widely known for his work on the mandolin, guitar and bouzouki, his frequent solo appearances, as well as performances with Susie Burke, Rodney Miller and the group “Airdance.” Surette is coordinator of the Music School’s folk program.

The full weekend festival is limited to 50 students and usually sells out early, with pre-registration required. For more information on the festival and to pre-register for the weekend’s workshops, or to purchase general admission tickets for the Saturday evening concert, call the Concord Community Music School, 603-228-1196, or drop by the school at 23 Wall Street in downtown Concord. Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults; $12 for students and seniors. Festival sponsors include the NH State Council on the Arts Traditional Arts Program, www.MandolinCafe.com, and the Concord Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

With a mission “to foster a sense of community through music…for people of all ages, musical abilities, and backgrounds,” the Music School welcomes adults, teens, and children, emphasizing the importance of ensembles and performance as well as individual instruction. It also partners with more than 20 New Hampshire schools, human service agencies, retirement homes, and public housing communities to bring musical participation to people unable to travel to CCMS. Call the Music School for more information, 603-228-1196, or visit the website www.ccmusicschool.org.