NSC Presents: Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas featuring Maggie O’Connor

“Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas”
Featuring Maggie O’Connor
Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas album (2011) reached the #1 ranking on Billboard’s
Bluegrass Album charts. Hailed by critics from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Los
Angeles Times as a top 10 album of the holiday season, it has become a perennial classic
Christmas recording.
“All Christmas music should be played so elegantly on violin” — Boston Globe
“Heavenly” – Associated Press
“Elegant” – New York Times
O’Connor says, “Appalachia is the original melting pot of our country featuring more diverse
styles of American music than just about anywhere. This theme makes for what is a trilogy of
my “Appalachia” recordings now; Appalachia Waltz, Appalachian Journey and An Appalachian
Christmas. My album features well known carols as well as several Appalachian-themed songs
about a beloved hunting dog, passing a fiddle down through the generations, and offering a
new version of Appalachia Waltz itself with classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, one of my most well-known pieces. A few of my favorite Christmas centerpieces for the album include Renee
Fleming’s soprano embraced by a mountain orchestra and fiddle solo on Away In A Manger and
Amazing Grace, the jazzy style of Jane Monheit with an all-acoustic string band on Winter
Wonderland and The Christmas Song and terrific guest appearances by music legends James
Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss.”
About An Appalachian Christmas Concert Tour: Grammy-winning composer and fiddler Mark
O’Connor has created several arrangements of Christmas classics and fashions a wondrous
mixture of both instrumental and vocal music in bluegrass and other American music genres.
Concertgoers are treated to fresh takes on traditional songs with a few original compositions
included. His renditions are playful and joyous, but can be strikingly earnest too.
Mark O’Connor’s Christmas concerts features himself performing on four instruments; fiddle,
acoustic guitar, mandolin and mandocello. The shows include his wife and fellow Grammy-winner Maggie O’Connor on fiddle and vocals. Mark and Maggie have performed An
Appalachian Christmas together as husband and wife for nearly 10 years. Much of the year they
tour behind their latest recording of original Americana songs and classics, Life After Life.
Together on stage, Mark and Maggie have a dynamic energy that bring their individual
expertise to holiday themes and classics in the most delightful and musically satisfying way!

“One of the most spectacular journeys in recent American music.” – The New York Times

“One of the most talented and imaginative artists working in music — any music — today.” – The Los Angeles Times

Mark O’Connor began his creative journey at the feet of American fiddling legend Benny Thomasson, and the iconic French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Today, he has melded these influences into a new American classical music, and is perpetuating his vision of an American School of String Playing. Mr. O’Connor has won three Grammys, seven CMA awards and several national fiddle, guitar and mandolin champion titles. Mr. O’Connor has composed nine concertos and two symphonies recorded by the Baltimore Symphony, London Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony among others. O’Connor is well-known for his chamber music including his million-selling composition “Appalachia Waltz” featuring Yo-Yo Ma for the Sony Classical label. His recent album back on his own label OMAC Records is Life After Life, an Americana music collection of his original songs and some classics he sings with his wife Maggie O’Connor who is featured on lead vocals. 2025 sees the release of their new holiday music album, A Christmas Duet – captured live at Sheldon Hall in St. Louis from Mark’s perennial An Appalachian Christmas tour. O’Connor released his memoir a few years ago, Crossing Bridges: My Journey from Child Prodigy to Fiddler Who Dared the World.

Mr. O’Connor has authored a series of educational books called the O’Connor Method and is now the fastest growing violin method in the country. The O’Connor Method features American music styles, creativity, cultural diversity and western classical technical training. For more information, visit www.markoconnor.com.