Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | [1] Mountlake Terrace, Washington, U.S. | August 5, 1961
Genres | Country, bluegrass, jazz, classical |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, teacher, author |
Instrument(s) | Violin, fiddle, guitar, mandolin |
Years active | 1974–present |
Labels | Rounder, Warner Bros., Sony Classical Records |
Website | markoconnor |
Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American
O'Connor has released 45 albums, of mostly original music, over a 45-year career. He has recorded and performed mostly his original American Classical music for decades. An expert at traditionally-based fiddle and bluegrass music, he also plays other instruments proficiently, including the violin, guitar and mandolin.[3] He has appeared on 450 albums, composed nine concertos and has put together groundbreaking ensembles. His mentors have included Benny Thomasson[4] who taught O'Connor to fiddle as a teenager, French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli[5] with whom O'Connor toured as a teenager, and guitarists Chet Atkins, Doc Watson and Steve Morse.[6]
Early life
O'Connor was born and raised in the suburb of
In 1973, O'Connor's mother drove him and his little sister from Seattle to Nashville, Tennessee, where a local friend suggested that he might be allowed to play at the Picking Parlour.[9] His performance at the Picking Parlour left the local audience stunned that a twelve-year-old knew so many old-time fiddle songs.[9] A couple of days later, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut, introduced by Roy Acuff, and became the youngest musician to sign a recording contract with Rounder Records.[9]
O'Connor won national titles on the fiddle, guitar, and mandolin as a teenager.[10][11] In 1975, at the age of thirteen, O'Connor won the WSM (AM), Tennessee, and Grand Ole Opry sponsored Grand Masters Fiddle Championships in Nashville, Tennessee, against amateur and professional competitors of all ages.[11][12] That same year he won another national championship on acoustic guitar, at the National Flat Pick Guitar Championship in Winfield, Kansas.[11][13]
After graduating from the Mountlake Terrace High School in 1979, O'Connor joined the David Grisman Quintet as the replacement for guitar player, Tony Rice, and went out on tour with Stephane Grappelli with whom he performed at Carnegie Hall when he was only seventeen-years-old.[7][8][11] As a teenager, he was also a member of the seminal instrumental group The Dregs, previously known as Dixie Dregs.[10] At age 19, He won the Buck White International Mandolin Championship in Kerrville, Texas.[14] He is a four-time grand champion (1979, 1980, 1981 and 1984) at the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest in Weiser, Idaho.[15] Several of his teenage albums are noteworthy and inspired a generation of young acoustic musicians, such as "Pickin' In The Wind", "A Texas Jam Session", "Markology" and "False Dawn".
Musical career
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O'Connor composes, arranges, and records American music in genres that include folk, classical, and jazz. His works include concertos, and compositions for
O'Connor's "Fiddle Concerto (1992)", a violin concerto in American fiddle style commission by the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, has been performed over 250 times, making it one of the most performed concertos written in the last 50 years.[16] The recording of the concerto was conducted by Marin Alsop and "Concordia Orchestra".
In 1993, O'Connor teamed up with
In 1996, O'Connor composed The Olympic Reel for the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.[17] It premiered in front of 100,000 people at Centennial Olympic Stadium, as well as 3.5 billion people from the television viewing audience.[18]
In 1997, O'Connor and others composed and performed music based on folk melodies as arrangements for the American Revolutionary War-era Public Broadcasting Service documentary miniseries, Liberty! The American Revolution (the companion album is Liberty!). The theme music for the miniseries is O'Connor's Song of the Liberty Bell.[19]
In 1999, he recorded his Fanfare For The Volunteer with the
In a review by The New York Times, "if Dvorak had spent his American leisure time in Nashville instead of
Over a period of five years, O'Connor teamed up with jazz musicians
His composition, Appalachia Waltz (appearing on the album of the same title), has been adopted by Yo-Yo Ma as part of his live performance repertoire, and used frequently as music for weddings including two of former Vice President Al Gore's daughters [citation needed]. One of his chamber music efforts is his piano trio entitled Poets and Prophets which is inspired by his boyhood hero Johnny Cash. O'Connor and Rosanne Cash united in double bill concerts for premiering their collaboration. The piece was recorded by the Eroica Trio.
On April 28, 2009, O'Connor teamed with chamber musicians Ida Kavafian, Paul Neubauer and Matt Haimovitz to present his second and third string quartets, amalgamating bluegrass with classical styles, at Merkin Concert Hall in New York.[24] O'Connor released the recording for both string quartets under the label OMAC in May 2009.[25]
In 2010, O'Connor released his "Americana Symphony" recorded by the
The O'Connor Method
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O'Connor has developed a string instrument technique for music teachers and students, The O'Connor Method — A New American School of String Playing.[29] The method places an emphasis on music and playing techniques from North America, in addition to focusing on rhythmic development, ear training, and improvisation.
The method is published as a series of books that also contains short essays about famous Americans who played fiddle, such as Johnny Gimble, Ray Nance, Byron Berline, Pinchas Zukerman, Eddie South, Kenny Baker, Benny Thomasson, Scott Joplin, Thomas Jefferson and Davy Crockett, and the history of a wide variety of music including jazz, bluegrass, Romani, western swing, cajun, blues, African American Spirituals, ragtime and Mariachi. Teacher training sessions based on the Method take place around the United States and in other countries including at O'Connor Method String Camps. The physical edition which includes violin, viola, cello and orchestra method books was released in 2010. In 2020, the books were released as a digital edition for download.
Awards and honors
O'Connor won a
He was named Musician of the Year by the Country Music Association six years in a row (from 1991–96).[33] His collaborative single "Restless" (with Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner) won the 1991 CMA Vocal Event of the Year award. O'Connor is 4-time National Old-Time Fiddler Champion, 3-time Grand Master Fiddler Champion, 2-time national guitar flatpick champion, and world mandolin champion, all achieved in his teens.[citation needed] He was inducted into The National Fiddler Hall of Fame in 2009.[34]
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Peak United States Chart Positions | Label | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Classical Crossover | Classical [35][36][37] [38][39] |
Jazz [40][41] |
Country [42] |
Heatseekers
[43] |
Bluegrass [44][45] |
Indie [46] | |||
1974 | National Junior Fiddling Champion | Rounder | |||||||
1976 | Pickin' in the Wind | ||||||||
1978 | Markology | ||||||||
1979 | On the Rampage | ||||||||
Soppin' the Gravy | |||||||||
1982 | False Dawn | ||||||||
1982 | Industry Standard (with The Dregs) | Arista | |||||||
1985 | Meanings Of | Warner | |||||||
1986 | Stone from Which the Arch Was Made | ||||||||
1988 | Elysian Forest | ||||||||
1989 | The Championship Years | CMF | |||||||
On the Mark | Warner | ||||||||
1990 | Retrospective | Rounder | |||||||
1991 | The New Nashville Cats | 44 | 14 | Warner | |||||
1992 | Johnny Appleseed | Rabbit Ears | |||||||
1993 | Heroes | 46 | 14 | Warner | |||||
The Night Before Christmas | Rabbit Ears | ||||||||
1994 | The Fiddle Concerto | 6 | Warner | ||||||
1996 | Appalachia Waltz (with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer) | 1 | Sony | ||||||
1997 | Liberty! | 8 | |||||||
1998 | Midnight on the Water | 5 | |||||||
1999 | Fanfare for the Volunteer | ||||||||
2000 | Appalachian Journey (with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer) | 1 | |||||||
2001 | The American Seasons | 6 | |||||||
Hot Swing! | OMAC | ||||||||
2003 | Thirty-Year Retrospective (with Chris Thile, Bryon Sutton) | ||||||||
Hot Swing Trio: In Full Swing | 7 | Sony | |||||||
2004 | Crossing Bridges | 19 | OMAC | ||||||
2005 | Hot Swing Trio: Live in New York | 22 | |||||||
Double Violin Concerto (with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg) | |||||||||
2006 | Folk Mass (with Gloriae Dei Cantores) | ||||||||
2007 | The Essential Mark O'Connor | Sony | |||||||
2008 | Americana Symphony (Baltimore Symphony, Marin Alsop) | OMAC | |||||||
2009 | String Quartets No. 2 & 3 | ||||||||
2010 | Jam Session | ||||||||
2011 | An Appalachian Christmas | 9 | 5 | 3 | 39 | ||||
2012 | American Classics | ||||||||
2012 | America On Strings | ||||||||
2013 | The Improvised Violin Concerto CD/DVD | ||||||||
2014 | MOC4 | ||||||||
2014 | Mark O'Connor Christmas Tour Live DVD | ||||||||
2015 | Duo. (with Maggie O'Connor) | ||||||||
2016 | Coming Home | 1 | New Rounder | ||||||
2019 | A Musical Legacy[47] | 5 | OMAC - 23 | ||||||
2021 | Markology II | 10 | OMAC - 27 |
Singles
Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US Country [48] |
CAN Country | |||
1991 | "Restless" (Mark O'Connor and the New Nashville Cats[a]) |
25 | 19 | The New Nashville Cats |
1992 | "Now It Belongs to You" (with Steve Wariner) | 71 | 62 | |
1994 | "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia" (with Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt, Marty Stuart, and Johnny Cash) |
54 | — | Heroes |
- Notes
- ^ The New Nashville Cats, as credited on "Restless", are Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, and Steve Wariner.
Music videos
Year | Video | Director |
---|---|---|
1990 | "Bowtie"[49] | Gustavo Garzon |
1991 | "Restless" (with Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill) | |
"Now It Belongs to You" (with Steve Wariner) | Gustavo Garzon | |
1993 | "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia" (with Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash, Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart) | |
1997 | "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" (with James Taylor) |
See also
References
- ^ "Mark O'Connor biography". CMT. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor, Violin". fromthetop.org. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ Hiltner, Justin (7 August 2018). "Mark O'Connor, 'Pickin' in the wind'". thebluegrasssituation.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor: On Learning, Playing, and Teaching Strings, American-style by Peter Anick". Fiddle Magazine. August 21, 2010.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor Hot Swing on Mountain Stage". NPR. April 5, 2010.
- ^ Tom Redmond (January 28, 2017). "Chet Atkins and Mark O'Connor". Mister Guitar.
- ^ a b c Roberts, M.B. (5 August 2010). "Violin Virtuoso Mark O'Connor". americanprofile.com. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ a b Himes, Geoffrey. "Mark O'Connor's Art: Fiddling With The Best". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d Adams, Rob. "Mark O'Connor - fiddle whiz keeps it in the family". robadamsjournalist.com. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ a b LaBorie, Tim. "Mark O'Connor Biography". musicianguide.com. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d Lawless, John (19 April 2021). "Mark O'Connor picks up his guitar again for Markology II". bluegrasstoday.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Grand Master Fiddler Championship Past Winners". Grand Master Fiddler. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012.
- ^ "National Guitar Flat Pick Champion Archive". Walnut Valley Festival. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011.
- ^ Zimmerman, Lee (10 May 2019). "Mark O'Connor shares his career as an American Master". bluegrasstoday.com. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest Past Winners". Fiddle Contest. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "ShoreFire Media Official Bio for Mark O'Connor". ShoreFire Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ "1996 Atlanta Closing Ceremony Music List | Olympic Ceremonyography". olympicceremonies.wordpress.com. 30 August 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor Sheet Music". sitemason.com. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- ^ "LIBERTY! The American Revolution, Series: The Music of Liberty". PBS. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ "Fanfare for the Volunteer [sound recording]". Chicago Public Library.
- ^ "American Seasons: Review". AllMusic.com. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ Kozinn, Allan (19 October 2001). "MUSIC REVIEW; Vivaldi and a Touch of Twang From Some Flexible Fiddlers". The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ "Thirty Year Retrospective" liner notes
- ^ O'Connor, Kavafian, Neubauer, Haimovitz, Mark, Ida, Paul Matt. "Mark O'Connor's String Quartet No. 3 (2nd Mvmt) w. Kavafian/Neubauer/Haimovitz". String Quartet No. 3. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Mark O'Connor String Quartets No. 2 & 3". Amazon. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ^ "OMAC Records". omacrecords.com.
- ^ "Rounder reissues classic Mark O'Connor albums". September 13, 2016.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor | Album Discography". AllMusic.
- ^ "O'Connor Violin Method". Mark O'Connor Musik International. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011.
- ^ "Past Winners: Grammys". Grammy Awards website. 30 April 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ Flanagan, Andrew (12 February 2017). "NPR Choice page". npr.org. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- ^ "Grammys 2017 Winners Full List". Hollywood Reporter. 12 February 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- ^ "CMA Musician of the Year Past Winners". Country Music. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor at the National Fiddler Hall of Fame". nationalfiddlerhalloffame.org. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor > Classical Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Top Classical Albums". Billboard. January 11, 1997.
- ^ "Top Classical Albums". Billboard. September 9, 2000.
- ^ "Top Classical Albums". Billboard. October 20, 2001.
- ^ "Top Classical Albums". Billboard. June 3, 2006.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor > Jazz Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Top Jazz Albums". Billboard. December 12, 2006.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor > Top Country Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor > Heatseekers Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor > Bluegrass Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "O'Connor Band". Billboard.
- ^ "Mark O'Connor > Independent Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "A Musical Legacy - Mark O'Connor Band". Bluegrass Today. 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
- ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Mark O'Connor : Bowtie". Country Music Television. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
External links
- Official Website
- Mark O'Connor at IMDb
- Mark O'Connor — on AllMusic
- 'Ep. 92: Mark O'Connor, violinist and composer' Interview by Tigran Arakelyan