Renowned fiddler Mark O'Connor performs Friday with Appalachia Waltz Trio
Date 4/6/2006 12:00 AM | Topic: Arts & CultureGrammy award-winning fiddler Mark O'Connor will perform with the Appalachia Waltz Trio this Fri., April 7 in the Center for Faith and Life.
O'Connor's music has been growing in popularity ever since he first broke onto the scene in 1985 with a guest appearance in The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His involvement in music, however, started long before.
O'Connor was born in Seattle, Wash. and grew up playing violin in poor conditions. His family could not afford lessons, so his mother took him to fiddling contests around the state.
O'Connor drew from an unlikely duo to develop his fiddling prowess. He perfected his technique under the direction of Texas fiddler Benny Thomasson and French jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli.
Since his youth, he has continued to expand his repertoire and influence. His style has been described as "crossing over so many boundaries, that it is extremely personal."
He plays a variety of musical genres, ranging from bluegrass to jazz, classical to country. It is his blend of these genres, however, that gives him his unique sound.
All Music Guide called O'Connor's sound "one of the most difficult musicians to categorize ... Although his roots are in bluegrass, he is equally at home performing or composing jazz and classical music while freely mingling elements of each genre into a project."
He won a number of fiddle contests as a teenager and decided to move to Nashville, Tenn. at the age of 21 to pursue a career in music.
O'Connor has worked and recorded with many famous artists, such as bassist Edgar Meyer and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Their first CD, "Appalachia Waltz" released in 1996, contains many songs that the trio will be performing on Friday.
The follow-up to this album, "Appalachian Journey," won O'Connor a Grammy award in 2001 and will also be featured in Friday's performance. He has played on over 500 albums in his 28-year career.
Fiddling is different from classical violin in that it is handed down from person to person without sheet music. Classical violin is notated and often learned in a conservatory.
O'Connor is well versed in the American history of fiddling, and has been called upon in the past to compose music for documentaries, using his knowledge of music in a given era to compose the right tone of music.
This expertise was also used in his solo capabilities on John Williams' score for the 2000 film release, "The Patriot."
O'Connor has made many notable appearances in his life. He performed at the Bill Clinton Presidential Inauguration Celebration. He has also performed at the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Ga. He also makes frequent TV appearances.
O'Connor has a passion for passing on his talents and experiences to up and coming violinists.
He teaches master classes at many schools, including the prestigious Juliard School of Music, Berklee College of Music, the Eastman School of Music and more.
He also hosts a number of fiddle camps across the country.
O'Connor feels that a graduate level class is best taught by talking and teaching. He looks for the joy in music and encourages everyone to pursue his or her musical interests.
Unfortunately, O'Connor will be too busy to teach any classes at Luther on Friday.
The Appalachia Waltz trio was formed in 2002 and is made up of O'Connor on violin, Natalie Haas on cello and Carol Cook on viola. They play O'Connor's "Appalachia" compositions as well as new pieces he has written for the group.
Their first album, "Crossing Bridges," was released in 2004.
Luther College will be the group's second stop as they start out on their 17-state spring tour.
Tickets for Friday's concert are $17 for adults and $15 for children and senior citizens. Tickets are free with a student CAF card.
For more information on Mark O'Connor and the Appalachia Waltz Trio, visit O'Connor's Web site at
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Peter Ilten
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