Alison Stephens – Mandolinist, Composer, Teacher – A Great Loss for the Mandolin World

The great British mandolinist Alison Stephens has died on October 10, 2010. She was only 40 years old.

Alison Stephens was the leading British mandolinist. She has played the mandolin part for many performances in Britain and all over the world and appeared in many BBC broadcasts.

Alison has recorded several great CDs with different partners. As Duo Mandala with Lauren Scott (harp) she has recorded the album Tapestry. With Steven Divine (piano) has has recorded the concertos for mandolin and piano by Raffaele Calace and other works by Calace – this is one of my all time favorite CDs with classical mandolin. Alisons last CD Souvenir was recorded with Craig Ogden on the guitar.

During the last years Alison was also responsable for the mandolin editions at the Astute-Music Publishing Company. She has begun to build up a repertoir for the mandolin and has also composed new works for the mandolin. Working with Alison Stephens for my two mandolin book published by Astute-Music was a great experience. Unfortunately I have never met Alison. She had planned to take part in the mandolin symposium in Trossingen in 2008, but just before the symposium she was diagnosed with cancer for the first time and so she could not come to Germany.

The death of Alison Stephens is a big loss for the Mandolin in Britain, and for the whole World of Mandolin.

Message by Lauren Scott:

I have very sad news I’m afraid.

Ali passed away yesterday. She had been diagnosed with cancer for the third time 3 months ago and had been working up until 2 weeks ago, and very suddenly her health declined. She died peacefully in a hospice.

Funeral arrangements will be posted on her website in due course.

I’m sorry to be emailing you such terrible news.

Lauren

http://www.astute-music.com/alisonstephens.htm

Lauren Scott

Victor Kioulaphides has composed a Suite für Ali and has just added two videos of the World Premiere of this Suite played by Alison in 2009:

Suite for Ali

Suite for Ali, by Victor Kioulaphides; composed for and performed by Alison Stephens at The Great Hall of the Dartington International Summer School on August 23, 2009. World Premiere. Preludio-Allemande-Courante