Portland Ovations Welcomes American Violinist Mark O'Connor Tonight

Portland Ovations presents American composer and violin virtuoso Mark O'Connor and his string quartet on Friday, March 4th at Merrill Auditorium. O'Connor is a Grammy-winning artist whose career crosses multiple genres including classical, jazz, bluegrass and country music. O'Connor is joined on stage by three other talented musicians for an evening of Americana-influenced works composed by O'Connor himself. The concert begins at 8:00 p.m.

The program for the Mark O'Connor Quartet performance at Merrill Auditorium incluDes O'Connor's recent String Quartet No. 3 Old-Time, as well as selections from his acclaimed Appalachia Waltz and Appalachian Journey.

A product of America's rich aural folk tradition as well as classical music, Mark O'Connor's creative journey began at the feet of a pair of musical giants. The first was the folk fiddler Benny Thomasson; the second, French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli. Throughout his career, O'Connor has absorbed, studied and drawn upon influences from a multitude of musical styles and genres that bridge the extremes of Thomasson's and Grappelli's methods. This journey has culminated in O'Connor's own unique style of American Classical music for which he is now so popularly known.

O'Connor has sold over two million CDs as a solo recording artist. He has been nominated for ten Grammy Awards, winning two, and has also received seven Country Music Awards. His compositions include concertos, string quartets, string trios, choral works, solo violin works and a new symphony. And, O'Connor has collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Renee Fleming, Matt Haimovitz, Chris Thile, Patty Loveless, Wynton Marsalis and Rosanne Cash.

O'Connor's vision for teaching an American Classical approach to violin playing was realized in 2009 with the publication of the O'Connor Violin Method. It is the first teaching method for violin that features all American music. The method is based upon O'Connor's belief that classical violin students who develop a working knowledge of folk fiddling, jazz music and world music styles are more successful in the new music environment.

Ovations Offstage is partnering with the University of Southern Maine's Music Department and the Maine String Teachers and Players Association to present a three-day training workshop of the O'Connor Violin Methodfrom March 4th through March 6th. The workshop, to be held at USM's Gorham campus, is led by Pamela Wiley, a certified strings teacher in the O'Connor Violin Method. The workshop features a visit from Mark O'Connor himself and costs $150 per person. That fee includes all texts and a ticket to the Mark O'Connor Quartet's March 4th concert at Merrill Auditorium. Interested strings teachers and students should contact Associate Professor Robert Lehmann at rlehmann@usm.maine.edu for registration and additional detail s.

Ovations Offstage is also partnering with Acoustic Artisans, the Portland Music Foundation, North Yarmouth Academy and 317 Main Street Music Center for a series of free lectures and demonstrations, two featuring Mark O'Connor himself and one that supports O'Connor's Friday, March 4th concert:

On March 2nd at 7 p.m. at Rines Auditorium inside the Portland Public Library, Mark O'Connor and violin maker Jonathan Cooper from Portland's Acoustic Artisans discuss and demonstrate how different violins make different sounds. Cooper is the maker of O'Connor's own primary instrument. The event is co-sponsored by the Portland Music Foundation.

On March 3rd at 7 p.m. at North Yarmouth Academy, Mark O'Connor presents an informal and lively demonstration that provides insights into the differences and similarities between the fiddle and violin.

And, on March 4th at 6:30 p.m., immediately preceding the Mark O'Connor Quartet concert, representatives from 317 Main Street Community Music Center present a lecture/demonstration of techniques for learning string instruments and discuss O'Connor's influence on the new American school of string playing. This event takes place in the Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall.

For more information about the Ovations Offstage activities surrounding Mark O'Connor, visit www.portlandovations.org/offstage.

Portland Ovations' presentation of the Mark O'Connor Quartet is made possible with corporate support from Oceanview at Falmouth and media support from the Maine Public Broadcasting Network as well as support from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support for the Ovations Offstage activities comes from Jane's Trust, the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation and from Portland Ovations' Members.

Tickets to see the Mark O'Connor Quartet on Friday, March 4th at 8:00 p.m. range from $29 to $36 for Ovations' Members and from $32 to $40 for the general public. A limited number of $10 student tickets are also available to full-time college and grade school students. To purchase tickets contact PortTix at (207) 842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are also available online at www.portlandovations.org.

For high resolution photography of Mark O'Connor and his quartet members, visit the "press" link at the top of Portland Ovations' website, www.portlandovations.org.

 

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