Help Fund Carrera's Mandolin Opportunity

Carrera Stamile (age 16) is a serious classical musician from South Carolina. Her last year of music study has been full of so much growth and opportunity! Carrera's musical focus is classical mandolin.

About the Opportunity:

Carrera is raising funding to attend an amazing classical music event in Rhode Island taking place in October 2023. Jacob Reuven is holding a 5-day event entitled Course in Mandolin Excellence as part of the University of Rhode Guitar Festival 2023. Jacob is a world-famous mandolinist who is a professor at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He tours internationally performing solo and with ensembles. He teaches and performs important violin works as part of mandolin repertoire, which is exactly the music Carrera wants to play.

Carrera would absolutely love to work with him in person, and meet other classical mandolinists from Europe, Israel, the Americas, and beyond!

About Carrera:

Carrera’s interest in mandolin started when she was 11 years old. After having been a very serious violin student for 8 years, Carrera had to stop advancing as a violinist due to a physical issue irritated by bowing. After hearing a YouTube recording of mandolinist Chris Thile playing Bach’s G minor Sonata for solo violin, it was love at first listen. Since then, she has studied with some great teachers, some for violin and some for mandolin, all helping her build her mandolin skills and musicality. Some of these teachers include Ted Lucktenberg, Caterina Lichtenberg (Artistworks.com), Dr. Courtney LeBauer (Converse University), Kathryn Lucktenberg (Facetime lessons), Alon Sariel (Arpeggiato.com), and Jacob Reuven (Jerusalem Academy online). Carrera plays music written not only for the mandolin, but also much for violin. She especially loves the solo works of Bach. Some of her honors and performance highlights include: two solo concerts (2021, 2022), soloist for the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra (September 2022), Foothills Philharmonic Orchestra Future Stars Concerto Competition winner 2023, Solo Honors Recital at Masterworks Festival (Summer 2022, 2023), multiple years of Lawson Academy Concerts, first-place winner of Charleston International Baroque Music Competition (2022), Jack Kent Cook Young Artist Award recipient (2022), featured soloist on NPR's From the Top show #429 (April 2023), and Treble Duets concert with violinist Dexter Doris, a fellow From the Top alumni (June 2023). Carrera’s goal is to play classical mandolin professionally. She is currently playing a double-top mandolin built by Carlo Mazzaccara in Modena, Italy.

Solo concert, Feb 2022, Bach's Ciaccona

OBSESSION” from Ysaÿe Sonata No. 2

September 2022, soloist with Piedmont Chamber Orchestra,

Mandolin Concerto by Domenico Gaudioso

Recording for From the Top, March 2023

Carrera announced as winner of 2023 Future Stars Concerto Competition

at Foothills Philharmonic concert, March 2023).

Video link from Treble Duets concert, June 10, 2022

Leclair Sonata No. 5 with violinist Dexter Doris.

Carrera is hoping to raise funding to cover the costs of travel and attending URI's Guitar Festival's Course in Mandolin Excellence. Information about this amazing event can be found at https://www.uriguitarfestival.org

The estimated costs include:

About the Funds:

Tony and Cherie Stamile, Carrera’s parents will hold responsibility for the transfer of these funds to the expenses related to this mandolin event. Any funds raised over the requested amount or any funding left over will be saved and used for Carrera's full benefit as a musician to help pay for music related expenses such as unforeseen costs, extra lessons, competition fees, or college related expenses. If unexpected circumstances cause the event to not be possible for Carrera to attend, or if she does not have enough resources to go, the funding will be saved to apply to a similar opportunity for Carrera in the future

From Carrera:

I would be so grateful if you could help in any way; please consider donating or sharing this with others. If you would like to hear my recordings, please visit my YouTube channel Mandolin Princess.

More About Funds:

I do have some funding left from my Jack Kent Cook Scholarship that I can apply to this event if support comes in by the third week of July. My access to this remaining money expires August 1. Thank you for taking time to read this GoFundMe and considering my donation request.