Mark O’Connor

Grammy award-winning violinist, composer, and fiddler, Mark O’Connor is widely recognized as one of the most gifted contemporary composers in America and surely one of the brightest talents of his generation. A product of America’s rich aural folk tradition, Mr. O’Connor began his journey at the feet of two violin masters—Texas fiddler Benny Thomasson and French jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. During his stellar career, Mark O’Connor has absorbed knowledge and been influenced by a multitude of musical styles and genres. Now, at age forty-four, he has melded and shaped these influences into a new American classical music. Mr. O’Connor regularly teaches master classes and has conducted symposia at schools of music around the country, including The Juilliard School of Music, Tanglewood, Aspen, the Berklee College of Music, UCLA, the Eastman School of Music, and the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. He generously donates his time in support of a number of organizations that promote music education and outreach to young people. He serves on the advisory panel for the selection of the Kennedy Center Honors and is affiliated with “Arts4All,” a nationally recognized provider of cultural Web content. He is founder of the internationally recognized Mark O’Connor Fiddle Camp and Strings Conference, where he assembles a world-class faculty to teach in a number of musical styles. These gatherings routinely draw participants from across the United States and Canada, as well as from Europe, South America, and Asia. He resides in San Diego, CA.