For more than six decades, the Munier Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra has promoted classical mandolin music throughout
Greater Philadelphia. Established in 1957, when two smaller ensembles united under the baton of Dr. Joseph Tiracchia, the orchestra
has a direct link with the Golden Age of Italian classical mandolin. As a young child in Italy, Dr.Tiracchia studied mandolin with the
ensemble’s namesake, Carlo Munier, one of the foremost mandolin virtuosos and composers of the day - along with Raffaele Calace.
From 1957-1990, the Munier Orchestra flourished under the leadership of Dr. Tiracchia. The orchestra produced three LP recordings featuring
a diverse musical selection, ranging from the virtuosic compositions of Munier and Calace to traditional Italian favorites. As one of the
foremost regional ambassadors of the Italian-American cultural tradition, the orchestra maintained a high profile, particularly in South
Philadelphia. In 1976, Munier played a role in the nation's Bicentennial Celebration, performing in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra
to celebrate the city's musical heritage.
Following Dr. Tiracchia’s passing, in 1990, Chris Ianni - a mandola virtuoso and charter member of Munier - assumed the baton. Under Chris’s
direction, Munier performed at and hosted the Classical Mandolin Society of America’s annual conference in 2004. Chris is recalled with great
reverence by current members for his passion and leadership. After Chris’s death in 2007, guitarist Robert Henry became musical director and
served in that post until 2011. Mark Linkins, mandolinist and guitarist, followed in the director capacity until 2023.
Under Mark’s leadership, Munier participated in a wide range of collaborations with Philadelphia-based ensembles and solo artists. On several
occasions, the orchestra performed Vivaldi’s masterwork “The Gloria” with regional choruses. Mandolin/domra virtuosi Ekaterina Skliar and Alexey
Alexandrov - Siberian ex-pats currently based in Philadelphia - appeared as frequent guest artists with Munier.
The Munier Mandolin Orchestra also served as the host orchestra for the East Coast Mandolin Orchestra, a large 75+ member ensemble of professional
and highly skilled amateur musicians that gathered in Philadelphia to present a concert based around a particular musical theme which included Italian
film scores, holiday music, music from Woodstock, and a Brazilian repertoire.
For a second time, in 2016, the orchestra performed at and hosted the annual convention of the Classical Mandolin Society of America.
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