Eastman Presents the Grammy Award-winning O’Connor Band, featuring fiddler and composer Mark O’Connor, and special guest Rochester native Chris Wilson, performing Friday, January 19, at 8 p.m., in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.
Featuring iconic fiddler and composer Mark O’Connor, O’Connor Band puts on an engaging, dynamic show showcasing compelling arrangements, virtuosic solos, and tight vocal harmonies. Their debut album, Coming Home, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart in 2016 and won Best Bluegrass Album at the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2017. In addition to Mark, the band features Maggie O’Connor (fiddle/vocals), Forrest O’Connor mandolin/guitar/vocals), and Kate Lee (fiddle/vocals) and Rochester native, as well as Joe Smart (guitar) and Geoff Saunders (bass/banjo).
Chris Wilson, Rochester native, will be featured with the band. Known for being a finalist and winning “Viewer’s Choice Award” for his performance on MTV’s The Cut, Chris has received rave reviews and awards for his powerful vocals and honest and emotional songwriting. David Foster (Artist/Producer) told Chris, “you are going to have a long career in this business.”
For this performance, The O’Connor Band has put together a show unlike any other, one that blends country and pop sensibilities with Americana rawness, bluegrass drive, and chamber music sophistication, one that has begun winning over audiences at festivals (AmericanaFest, GreyFox, IBMA, RockyGrass), clubs (Jazz Alley, Dakota Jazz Club), and the world’s premier theaters (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Schermerhorn Symphony Center).
Tickets for O’Connor Band performance are $26-71, with $10 student tickets available. Tickets can be purchased at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St.; by phone (585) 274-3000; or online at http://eastmantheatre.org
# # #
About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training. The current dean is Jamal Rossi, appointed in 2014.
About 900 students are enrolled in Eastman’s Collegiate Division– about 500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students. Students come from almost every state, and approximately 20 percent are from other countries. They are guided by more than 95 full-time faculty members. Seven Pulitzer Prize winners have taught at Eastman, as have several Grammy Award winners. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 700 concerts to the Rochester community.