The idea of forming a mandolin orchestra in Western Australia dated back to 1957 when Harry Baker of Netherlands & his family started a music school in Fremantle teaching guitar, mandolin and piano accordion. It was at this school that a 17-year old Robert Schulz obtained his first lessons on these instruments.

On return from a three year study overseas, Robert Schulz officially launched the Fremantle Mandolin Orchestra (FMO) early 1976. The orchestra was renamed the West Australian Mandolin Orchestra (WAMO) not long after the Federation of Australian Mandolin Ensembles (FAME) was formed in 1979 at the Summer Mandolin Music Camp in Bendigo, Victoria. The orchestra is unique in Australia for its efforts to provide a matched set of instruments for the players. This collection of instruments has been built up over many years and all have been made by a luthier from Fremantle, Scott Wise.

WAMO's varied repertoire spans four centuries from the Renaissance to the 20th century, and includes arrangements of popular pieces and new, accessible works by Western Australian composers such as Robert Schulz, David Pye and Lee Buddle.

In 1986, guitarist Leonard Regnier took over conducting from Robert Schulz for the following two years. And in September 1988, WAMO began rehearsing under the baton of David Pye, a percussionist with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. David gave musical direction to the orchestra for a number of years. WAMO is currently conducted by their founding conductor Robert Schulz.

For a catalogue of music for sales, please contact Robert Schulz

The West Australian Mandolin Orchestra currently consists of about 25 players and has just performed its first concert for the year 2006 with a program of works composed exclusively by Australian composers, playing to a full house. Some of these works are new compositions which will be performed during a concert tour of the specially-formed Australasian Mandolin Orchestra touring in Germany and Holland in the second half of May this year.

Program of Concert performed on 26th March
OUTBACK by ROBERT SCHULZ
FANTASY ON A FOLKSONG by JOHN JOOSTE
BROLGA DANCES by MICHELLE NELSON
DOMESTIC CHALLENGES by ROB KAY
1.Restless Legs 2.Tunnel Vision
A CELEBRATION by ROBERT SCHULZ
Cello Soloist - Jennifer Tingley
A DARK HISTORY by ROBERT SCHULZ
Soprano Soloist - Kath Kenny
Reader - Rob Kay
THREE STUDIES by ROBERT SCHULZ
Ragtime - Ballad - Dance

Students from the Applecross Senior High School Guitar Ensemble played "Merengue" by Richard Carlton and "Paladio" by Karl Jenkins. It was the premier performance of "A Dark History", and was well received. The piece is based on three well-known Australian folksongs 'Ten Thousand Miles", "The Lachlan Tigers" and 'The Band played Waltzing Matilda" and the spoken words were kindly written by local bush-poet Peter Capp …………
Whilst some of our leading players are touring with the AMO we will be conducted by David Pye.
It is expected that new players will be making their way into the orchestra later in the year.
We are advertising open rehearsals for Mon. 1st and 8th May in the attempt to entice and interest any players of plucked stringed instruments to come along and hopefully enlist some into learning or joining WAMO.

(Last updated April 3rd 2006 )