Ensembles/Stage Concerts LINKS
Solo Violin Recital Reprise
Acclaimed violinist Mark O'Connor returns to the concert stage performing his acclaimed solo recital. From foot stomping fiddle tunes, his electrifying caprices and warm homage to his violin and fiddle heroes" to ragtime, free improvisation, jazz and blues"
A memorable evening of breathtaking Mark O'Connor performances, unheard and unseen in more than a decade.
"When I walk on stage with the solo violin, an instrument that has been around for so many hundreds of years, it is so exciting to be able to bring new dimensions to the instrument while at the same time honoring the past traditions and great legacies of the players who came before me. To add to the repertoire with new literature as well as add to the technical and stylistic language of the violin, the instrument that is so close to the human soul, has been my great passion." Mark O'Connor 8/16/08
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Mark O'Connor Lecture Demonstrations
Grammy winning composer and violin/fiddle virtuoso Mark O'Connor offers
lecture demonstrations that inform, educate and entertain. Widely and well
known as one of America's most inventive and innovative composers, Mark
O'Connor discusses and demonstrates his American style of string playing,
his improvisational abilities and the process of composition. Appropriate
for all ages, Mark's appearances offer audiences a personal glimpse into the
life of a musical artist who has often been called "genius." Young
musicians, particularly, will benefit from his warm and engaging interaction
with his audiences.
"Mark made an enormous impression on our students. His contact with them was immediate and powerful. He's a kind and inspiring teacher, and of course his fiddle playing is virtuosic and alive with color and energy. May he return to Harvard many times!"
Jack Megan
Director, Office for the Arts at Harvard
"Mark gave an absolutely technically dazzling performance of his compositions. The audience was in awe of his agility, speed and stamina and he kept that intense energy and level of playing for almost two hours. His technique is incredibly impressive,
especially in the way that he makes it seem so effortless." Janet Sung, Professor of Violin, SUNY Fredonia
Cycles of Perfection – A Performance Concept Revisited
I first heard Mark O'Connor's solo violin concert here in America in 1999 when he performed to a capacity crowd in Kansas, helping to celebrate and launch the Carnegie Cultural Center, home of the Ottawa Suzuki Strings and the Ottawa Community Arts Council. As a classically trained violinist who dabbled in improvisation and jazz, I was eager to hear Mark perform live, even if I was a bit skeptical about the concept. How would this concert be without a great solo work of J.S. Bach? How would Mark hold the attention of his audience? Would the accompaniment of another collaborative artist be missed? To put it quite simply, I was mesmerized from the beginning of his first note. Mark drew me into his world with honest and open musical expression. Any reservations I had melted away as my ears were drawn to the stage to listen closely to Mark and his expressive and emotional range on the violin. The program included some of the original Caprices that Mark had written. The technical facility with which he performed these was breathtaking. At the end of the concert, I wanted more! Mark's program with his own style of American music was a success, and at the time, I did not think Mark could improve upon his outstanding performance.
And yet, Mark has done precisely that. In February of this year, Mark visited The University of Texas At Austin to appear on the Starling Distinguished Violinist Series at the School of Music. Great violin playing encompasses many different styles, and I knew that Mark would an ideal person to perform at UT. I expected that he would play incredibly well, but, much to my surprise and delight, Mark gave a performance that was even better than the concert I had heard nine years before in Kansas. His playing had evolved to an even higher level. During the time between these two concerts, Mark put away his solo violin performance concept and let it rest, spending much time composing, writing a considerable amount of music in addition to his other performances. After emerging from "composition mode", Mark picked up his violin again with renewed vigor, and indeed, his playing has grown and blossomed.
So what had changed? How had a master violinist obtained a new pinnacle and an even higher level of skill? As I watched Mark perform again, I saw a greater fluidity in his left hand and a much more keen awareness of the frame of the left hand as he shifted from various positions. This made intonation even more accurate, as well as allowing for an increase in finger dexterity. The Caprices were even faster and more beautiful. Mark is more relaxed on stage with the release of body tension. His already rapid fingers are even more agile as he has worked to seamlessly fuse his technical and musical ideas. Another difference that struck me was Mark's greater awareness of harmony and harmonic change. I felt greater weight to his interpretations, which has been informed by the countless hours of composing that he has done. Mark also told me he had been practicing again seriously (good advice to us all!), and that he was rediscovering many aspects of the violin. As I sat listening to his latest dazzling performance, I knew that I was in the presence of an American Paganini, a violinist with wickedly quick fingers and the ability to capture and engage an audience. It is encouraging to know that no matter how accomplished Mark O'Connor was nine years ago, he has continued to work towards greater heights. It is a lesson on the ability of a great violinist to continue to strive for improvement. It is one of the reasons why Mark O'Connor is truly now at the top of his game.
Brian Lewis is Professor of Violin at The University of Texas at Austin School of Music where he holds the David and Mary Winton Green Chair in String Performance and Pedagogy. In addition to an active performance schedule, he is also the Artist Director of the Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at The Juilliard School.
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