September 29, 1999

Mark O’Connor to Perform at Middlebury College

on Oct. 13

Praise for Mark O’Connor: “O’Connor is a

composer and artist to follow. His informed and engaging work

bridges genres and, in due time, just might develop into something

beyond extraordinary.” —The Washington Post

Grammy Award winner, composer, and violin virtuoso

Mark O’Connor will perform on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

at Middlebury College’s Mead Chapel on Hepburn Road, off College

Street (Route 125). The performance will be a tribute to his mentor,

the late violin master Stéphane Grappelli, with whom O’Connor

first played when he was 17 years old.

Hailed as a violinist whose musical style spans classical,

jazz, country, bluegrass, popular music, and Celtic genres, O’Connor

established himself as a fiddler and recording artist more than

two decades ago. He has performed with everyone from Yo-Yo Ma

and James Taylor to Wynton Marsalis, Lyle Lovett, and Paul Simon.

Named the Country Music Association’s Musician of

the Year for six consecutive years, O’Connor is now celebrating

the release of his 19th album, “Midnight on the Water.”

O’Connor has performed internationally as well as at Carnegie

Hall, the White House, and the Centennial Olympic Games closing

ceremonies.

In a recent Los Angeles Times article, O’Connor was

noted for his “masterful display of instrumental technique

and musical imagination.” He was described as “an artist

who has crossed over so many boundaries that his style is purely

personal.”

Tickets for this performance are $9 general admission

and $7 for senior citizens. A pre-performance dinner at 6 p.m.

will be held in the Redfield Room of Proctor Hall, across Hepburn

Road from Mead Chapel. To order tickets or make dinner reservations,

call the College box office at 802-443-6433.