finetune artist: Mark O'Connor

b. 4 August 1962, Seattle, Washington, USA. O'Connor is a naturally gifted instrumentalist, who first began to play the guitar at the age of six and won a University of Washington classical/flamenco guitar contest when he was aged 10. A year later, tiring of just playing the guitar, he turned to the fiddle and within weeks was playing it at square dances. Influenced by noted Texas fiddler Benny Thomasson (b. 22 April 1909, Runnels County, Texas, USA, d. 23 January 1984), he played at festivals and contests. By the age of 14, he had already won two National Fiddle Championships, a Grand Masters Fiddle Championship, the National Guitar Flatpicking Championship and had also produced two albums. After graduation in 1979, he toured extensively on the festival circuits, where he worked with several noted bluegrass musicians. After touring Japan with Dan Crary, he became the guitarist with David Grisman's quintet, where he also worked on a tour with the jazz violinist Stphane Grappelli. In 1981, while O'Connor was recovering from a broken arm sustained in a skiing accident, Grisman reduced to a quartet and O'Connor became the fiddle player with the Dixie Dregs. He left in 1983 and began to work with many artists including John McKuen, Peter Rowan, Chris Hillman and the legendary Doc Watson.

Listen to Mark O'Connor at Finetune.

(1993) Heroes
(1991) The New Nashville Cats
(1988) Elysian Forest
(1988) Elysian Forest

The Devil Comes Back to Georgia
Jerusalem's Ridge
Orange Blossom Special
House of the Rising Sun
Ashokan Farewell