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The SUNY Fredonia School of Music announces a performance by world-renown and Grammy-winning composer and violin/fiddle virtuoso, Mark O'Connor. He will perform a solo recital on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. in the Rosch Recital Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus.
Tickets are $5 for SUNY Fredonia students, and $10 for the general public. To purchase, call 716-673-3501, or visit www.fredonia.edu/tickets.
Widely recognized as one of the most gifted and inventive contemporary composers in America, he has performed around the world, including appearances at The White House, the Presidential Inauguration Celebration, and the official ceremonies of Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Games, for which he composed “Olympic Reel.”
The New York Times has called his “one of the most spectacular journeys in recent American music,” while the Los Angeles Times has described him as an artist who is “one of the most talented and imaginative...working in music — any music — today.”
In addition to his solo recital, O’Connor is also scheduled to lead a violin master class with SUNY Fredonia students on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 11:00 a.m., also in Rosch Recital Hall.
A product of America’s rich aural folk tradition, O’Connor’s journey began at the feet of such violin masters as Texas fiddler Benny Thomasson and French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. Between these two musical extremes, O’Connor absorbed knowledge and influence from a multitude of musical styles and genres. Now, at age 44, he has melded and shaped these influences into a new American classical music.
O’Connor’s appearance will offer a personal glimpse into the life of a musical artist who has often been called “genius.” His styles run the gamut from foot stomping fiddle tunes to ragtime, free improvisation, jazz and blues. He is also widely known for his warm and engaging interaction with his audiences, with performances which are appropriate for all ages.
