Simon Mayor

Simon Mayor
SM with Vanden signature model mandolin
Background information
Birth name	Simon Mayor
Born	Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Genres	Folk, Classical
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Mandolin, Mandola, Mandocello, Guitar, Violin, Ukulele
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Acoustics Records
Associated acts	Mandolinquents, Hilary James, Slim Panatella & the Mellow Virginians
Website	http://www.mandolin.co.uk/
Notable instruments
SM Signature Model mandolin by Mike Vanden, mandola and mandocello by Mike Vanden, Russell Wootton '0' size acoustic guitar

Simon Mayor is an English mandolinist, fiddle player, guitarist, composer and humourist. He is noted for a series of instrumental albums featuring the mandolin, live performances with his partner Hilary James and his groups The Mandolinquents and Slim Panatella & the Mellow Virginians, and (with Hilary James) for writing and performing for children.

He has produced a series of instructional books and DVDs for the mandolin, and is also a regular columnist for Acoustic magazine, along with Martin Taylor, Doyle Dykes, Gordon Giltrap, Maartin Allcock and Julie Ellison.

Mayor cites fiddler and mandolinist Dave Swarbrick as a teenage musical influence, after being taught to sing in Tonic sol-fa by his father when very young. With his solo debut The Mandolin Album in 1990 he embarked on a series of recordings with the stated aim of giving the mandolin a uniquely British voice. The CD was made Recording of the Week on BBC Radio 2. His mix of original and traditional material alongside classical pieces has been noted by BBC World Service (Recording of the Week), Q, Cosmopolitan, Living Tradition (Scotland) and Sing Out! (USA).

In May 2000 he entered the UK's Classical Artist Top Ten with Mandolin Moods, a 'best of' release of his own compositions and classical works on Universal Records.

His touring schedule has included the Rudolstadt International Folk Festival, Shetland Folk Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, The Stephen Leacock Humour Festival (Canada), Cheltenham Literature Festival (England), Edinburgh Fringe (Scotland), The Classical Mandolin Society of America and others.