FIRST ACT AT FORD

The Appalachia Waltz Trio will perform its acclaimed album 'Crossing Bridges' at the Ford Family Recital Hall.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The selection of Mark O'Connor's Appalachia Waltz Trio as the first act to perform at the Ford Family Recital Hall was an inspired one.
A true innovator, O'Connor combines folk-style fiddle and classical string arrangements, effectively creating a new style of American music.
It's a lively cross between chamber music and Appalachian bluegrass that is energizing a staid genre.
But O'Connor is not just a musical hybrid. He is also:
UAn award-winning and sought-after Nashville session player, who played with the greats of country music.
UA composer of symphonies.
UA composer of Broadway show scores.
UThe leader of two ensembles.
UA trailblazer in the way music is commissioned and delivered to the public.
History
O'Connor grew up in Seattle, where he studied violin, but lived in the South for much of his adult life.
His breakthrough in crossover music came with his 1995 composition "Crossing Bridges," which he wrote for world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Realizing it was the most successful project he was ever involved with, O'Connor started Appalachia Waltz Trio to record and perform it.
The trio consists of O'Connor, violist Carol Cook and cellist Natalie Haas.
The opening night audience at Ford Recital Hall will be treated to the music of "Crossing Bridges" and other selections.
What can Youngstowners expect from the performance? "I hope to get across a real joy in string playing," O'Connor said in a phone interview from San Diego, where he was performing with that city's orchestra. "A new American style of string playing."
Current projects
O'Connor is collaborating with lyricist Jennifer Hamady on a Broadway score. He is also working on a symphony for which he was commissioned by an unusually large consortium of 20 American orchestras, and also finds time to work with his other ensemble, Edgeffect.
"I'm in a great position," he said. Acknowledging that it can be difficult to go from one style to another, O'Connor said he usually needs a day to brush up before making a transition from, say, his Trio to performing with a symphony orchestra.
Delivering music
O'Connor is also at the forefront of finding new ways to get classical music to the public. On April 6, he began a bus tour of America as part of that effort.
"We're playing in 30 cities in six weeks," he said. "Most chamber ensembles don't play 30 dates in a year."
O'Connor says he's imposing the pop-music industry mentality on an older form. "We're doing lots of cities in a short time," he said.
The bus tour has proved to be fun and relaxing. "Waiting in airports -- that's stressful," he said. "On the bus, there's less stress. You can nap, talk to friends, watch a movie. More ensembles should try it."
Most of the cities on the tour are within an eight-hour drive of one another. Youngstown is the 10th stop on the tour.
O'Connor said he's excited to be the inaugural act in Ford Recital Hall. "I love performance venues," he said, adding he is especially glad to help bring in financial support for a new venue.
What's next
Two other shows are scheduled at Ford Theater in the near future: Storytyme, an interactive musical session that introduces young children to rhyming, dynamics and moving melody lines, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. April 27 and 28; and world-renowned symphonic pianist Andre Watts, at 8 p.m. April 29.