join us
We love Ortigia!! This small, mostly pedestrian, beautiful island, is the historic center of Siracusa. Meandering through the narrow streets, swimming in the Mediterranean waters, and sleeping above ancient Jewish baths all combine to make this the perfect place to allow your imagination to soar and your musicianship to expand.
Join us for four nights and four days of playing, learning, jamming and hanging out with - Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg, two of the most versatile mandolin players of our time. No matter your skill level, Mandolin World Retreats will take your playing to the next level.
We will touch on all styles of mandolin playing from Bluegrass, Swing, Jazz and Brazilian Choro, improvisation and chord theory to the entire history of Classical mandolin techniques spanning 300 years. This retreat is an immersive Mandolin intensive experience that also doubles as a fun-filled Italian vacation!
Not only will you get a chance to learn from these mandolin masters, but there will be plenty of time for actual playing with the other students, or as part of an ensemble.
You might even get a chance to play with Mike and Caterina on a stage for a final concert. These retreats are relaxed, intimate gatherings shared with others who love the mandolin and who come together to meet new musical friends, partake in good food and wine, make music – and just have a GREAT TIME!
meet YOUR mandolin INSTRUCTORS
Mike Marshall
Mike Marshall is a three-time Grammy nominated musician who has been at the forefront of the American string music scene for over 40 years. He has released over 35 CDs spanning a wide musical spectrum from contemporary Bluegrass to Brazilian Choro, Swing, Classical and original New Acoustic Music. In 2002 he founded his own Adventure Music Record label.
Mike has toured and recorded with some of acoustic music’s greatest innovators including David Grisman, Stephane Grappelli, Joshua Bell, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Bela Fleck, Darol Anger and Tony Rice. He has produced 10 about mandolin playing, 3 dvds for the Homespun series and he founded the Mandolin Symposium at the Univ. of California in Santa Cruz.
The ‘Mike Marshall School of Mandolin’ with the Artist Works company is the most popular online teaching format in the world and Mike has directed the Acoustic Music Seminar at the Savannah Music Festival since 2010. Mike’s energy, enthusiasm, and enormous bag of musical skills, tips, and techniques always leave his students coming back for more!
caterina lichtenberg
German born Caterina Lichtenberg is one of the most important mandolinists of our time. She currently holds the Professor position for classical mandolin at the Music Conservatory in Cologne, Germany and graduated with honors on both mandolin and classical guitar from that same institution.
She has toured throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia for over 20 years and has produced over 13 recordings with artists including guitarist Mirko Schader, harpsichordist Brigitte Engelhard, Quartetto MaGiCo, Le Son d ́Argent, LAGuitar Quartet, Trio Delicado, and Mike Marshall. Caterina has performed as a featured soloist with a number of distinguished symphonic, chamber, and radio orchestras, including the MDR Orchestra under Fabio Luisi, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly, and the New Century Orchestra under Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Schleswig-Holstein festival with Daniel Hope.
Caterina also teaches on-line through her Classical Mandolin school at the Artist Works Company. Caterina’s patience, warmth and genuine love of mandolin gives her a special ability to transfer an enormous breadth of musical knowledge and skill into bite-size morsels for her students to savor.
Special Guest Guitarist PEPPINO D’AGOSTINO
Peppino D'Agostino, a native of Italy, has been hailed as “a guitarist's guitarist” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, recorded 18 albums, been featured at prestigious international music festivals, and toured extensively with prominent artists from around the world - including Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, and Eric Johnson to name a few.
Now, as the co-founder of Music World Retreats, he is creating his own brand of supportive, guitar teaching, and music learning experiences. One thing is true – Peppino D’Agostino is always thinking about how to share his love of music and the guitar with the world.
pricing and plans
RETREAT PARTICIPANT
$3225*
ALL ACTIVITIES INCLUDED
ALL WORKSHOPS (18+ hrs instruction)
4 Nights Lodging in a Private Room with Bath
All Meals
Evening jam sessions & instructor performances
Optional Picnic Lunch and Boat Tour
Optional Guided Tour Ancient Jewish Baths
Optional Market Tour and Cooking Demo with our Chef
*price includes all taxes. You can pay 50% of the fee upon registration with the remaining balance due 30 days later. Contact us if you need a 3-payment plan.
PARTNER ADD-ON
$975
PERFECT FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Free time to Explore Ortigia and Surrounding Areas
4 Nights Lodging (shared room with your partner)
All Meals
Evening jam sessions & instructor performances
Optional Picnic Lunch and Boat Tour
Optional Guided Tour Ancient Jewish Baths
Optional Market Tour and Cooking Demo with our Chef
What Do You Get?
All Workshops ♫
Over 18 hours of music workshops with Mike and Caterina - and Peppino will be there for those who want some guitar instruction too
Delicious Traditional Meals**♫**
Join Mike and Caterina with all your mandolin buddies for tasty Italian food. Maurizio Moceo, Michelin Green Star chef and owner of the fabulous Macalle Bistrot will be surprising us with his fresh take on traditional Sicilian dishes.
Evening Open Mic/Jam Sessions ♫
Bring your instruments to these post dinner music-making sessions where we just let it all hang out.
Faculty Performances**♫**
Close-up and intimate performances with Caterina, Mike, and Peppino just for our participants.
Final Concert**♫**
If we can secure a concert venue, and you want, you can join Mike, Caterina, and Peppino on stage at a local venue.
What Will You Learn?
Classical Mandolin Arrangements
Bluegrass Tunes and Soloing
Tremolo Techniques
Chord Arpeggio Exercises
Favorite Italian Melodies
Ear Training
Music Appreciation
Turn around licks 1-5-1
Scale patterns
Dynamic expression and tone
Relaxation and performance Tips
THE LOCATION
Ortigia is the ancient, historic center of Siracusa, in the South-East region of Sicily. It is a small, UNESCO island joined to the mainland by two small pedestrian and car bridges. This jewel, is a year-round Italian destination and often called the ‘White Pearl of Syracuse.’ The charm of Ortigia is also due to its mix of styles: there are Ancient Greek ruins interspersed near dazzling Baroque piazzas that wind through a labyrinth of Medieval passageways where there are visible remnants of Moorish, Roman, Byzantine, and ancient Judaic civilizations.
Duomo Piazza at Night
Ortigia and Siracusa
Fresh Sicilian delicacies Daily
THE DAILY SCHEDULE*
Monday, September 1
Monday, September 1
3:30 – 4:30 pm Students Arrive
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Welcome, Introductions and Opening Session
7:00 pm Welcome Reception and Dinner
Post Dinner Evening Jam Session
Tuesday, September 2
Tuesday, September 2
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am – 10:30 am Workshop I
11:00 – 12:30 pm Workshop II
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Lunch and Free Time
4:00 pm – 5:15 Workshop III
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Workshop IV
7:00 pm Dinner
Post Dinner Jam and Open Mic
Wednesday, September 3
Wednesday, September 3
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am – 10:00 am Workshop V
10:30 – 12:30 Market Tour and Cooking Demo
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Lunch and Free Time
4:00 pm – 5:15 Workshop VII
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Workshop VIII
7:00 pm Dinner
Post Dinner Faculty Concert and Open Mic
Thursday, September 4
Thursday, September 4
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
9:30 am – 10:30 am Workshop I
11:00 – 12:30 pm Workshop II
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Lunch and Free Time
4:00 pm – 5:15 Workshop III
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Workshop IV
7:00 pm Dinner
Post Dinner Final Student Performance
Friday, September 5
Friday, September 5
8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast
Departure
*Schedule may be modified.
This is What Participants tell us…
Our Retreats have been life changing Mandolin moments for many who have attended. Here’s what a few had to say about their experience…
"Most excellent and inspiring weekend. Didn't know that I could learn so much in so short a time and only dismayed by how much is left to learn. The education process never stops when done correctly I suppose. Mike, Caterina and everyone involved with providing this weekend are the best, and I'll be back."
"What a fun weekend! Learning directly from the two greatest mandolin players in the world - Caterina and Mike is inspiring and nurtures us to grow as musicians. The beautiful concerts, the opportunities to connect through our music and play together, the food, and the nice people created an enjoyable experience. We look forward to the next retreat. Thank you so much."
"A highly immersive and entertaining learning experience. I didn't want to leave! Mike and Caterina are warm and generous teachers and their mandolin performances sprinkled throughout alone were worth the trip. Plus exposure to orchestra performance! Highly recommended -- I plan to attend again."
"How fortunate to have the opportunity to learn directly from such renowned musicians as Mike and Caterina! The retreat was well organized by thorough and caring people, with a good series of classes and many opportunities to play. The intimate setting allowed me to make new friends, and the public performance was a great finish to the amazing weekend!"
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. WHEN AND WHERE DOES THE RETREAT TAKE PLACE? ♫
The retreat takes place in Ortigia, Sicily from September 1-5, 2025. Registration includes your accommodation at the Residence Hotel ‘Alla Giudecca’ or a nearby residence hotel. The Residence Hotel “Alla Giudecca”, which will be our main gathering place, is located in the historic center of Ortigia island, in the heart of the old Jewish Quarter, next to the sea (with access to a swimming platform), and the major Piazza Duomo a few minutes away. The Hotel, simple yet tastefully restored, is an ancient building that respects the history and architectural origins of this beautiful mediterranean location. Underneath the hotel is the oldest Jewish ritual bath in Europe. A continental breakfast will be served at the hotel each morning for all workshop participants and their partners.
Q. CAN MY PARTNER ATTEND EVEN THOUGH THEY WON'T PARTICIPATE IN THE CLASSES?♫
Absolutely, non-participating partners are very welcome and the price per non-participating partner is $975 which can be added to the retreat fee when you register. Partners may also sit in on a workshop session or two as long as there is adequate space in the room. The tour of the Jewish Baths and a Market Tour and Cooking Demo is included in the Partner package.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY? ♫
You can receive a full refund minus any transaction fees within the first 30 days of booking. If a resurgence of COVID-19 occurs, we will follow all public health COVID-related rules, and modify accordingly. Music World Retreats reserves the right to re-schedule or cancel any event if there should be an "Act of God" or occurence outside our control that makes the scheduled retreat impossible to hold such as a pandemic, natural disaster, earthquake, or any civil unrest that would put our participants "at risk." In these situations (which we hope never occurs), we will reschedule or refund participant payments minus any transactional fees and expenses related to the event that we cannot get reimbursed. If we reschedule, and you cannot make the new date, we will credit your account for the amount paid for up to 1 year, and you can use that credit towards any other retreat that is held during that year.Please consider getting travel insurance to cover unexpected occurences that may cause you to cancel after the refund period.
Q. WHO CAN I CONTACT IF I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE RETREAT? ♫
Please contact us.
Q. CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE THOSE WITH DIETARY ISSUES? ♫
We are happy to try and accomodate your dietary needs. Vegetarian, vegans and basic diet requirements are included in the price – just contact us.
Q. ARE THE RETREAT VENUES SUITABLE FOR THOSE WITH MOBILITY ISSUES?♫
We are not able to accommodate anyone with severe mobility problems. Please contact us to discuss your particular needs
Q. HOW DO I GET THERE? ♫
You can travel to Sicily by air from all over the U.S. and Europe. Catania (CTA) is the closest international airport. If you are considering some travel before the workshop, you might take one of the low-cost European airlines from another major city such as Rome, Naples, or London. Check out Skyscanner or EDreams for flight times and costs. Or if you want to explore Sicily, another option is to arrive at the Palermo Airport (PMO), which is about 3 hours from Ortigia, and take a leisurely sight-seeing route to the retreat with a return from either Catania or back to Palermo. Upon registration, you will receive more detailed information including possible transportation options to the hotel once you arrive in Sicily.
Stay in Touch:
Check your inbox. You will receive a one-click confirmation from our email provider. Respond if you’d like to receive our newsletter and get information about future retreats.
If you have any trouble with this form, just email Donna Wapner at: dwapnermusic [AT] gmail [DOT] com
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”
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Mandolin World Retreats with Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg
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Jazz Guitar with Martin Taylor
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Hosts Peppino D’Agostino and Donna Wapner
MUSIC WORLD RETREATS are hosted by Peppino D’Agostino and Donna Wapner. Our goal is to partner with some of our favorite musicians and creative friends - and together develop intimate, supportive, learning experiences. We pick locations that will encourage and inspire one’s creativity. When participants walk away having learned something new, had fun, made new friends, and can’t wait to join us again - we know we have done our job well!!
