Mark and Maggie O'Connor

"A national treasure." -Wynton Marsalis "The best musician on the planet." -Vince Gill "A supreme master at what he does." -Yo-Yo Ma "He is to music what Muhammad Ali is to boxing." -James Taylor Imagine how good Mark O'Connor must be if these are the words his peers have said about him. Mark's musical DNA includes American folk tradition as well as classical music, and even jazz -- which makes sense when you consider that his creative journey began at the feet of a pair of musical giants: folk fiddler Benny Thomasson (who created the modern era of American fiddling) and French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli (considered one of the greatest improvisers in the history of the violin).   Along the way, between these musical extremes, Mark absorbed knowledge and influence from other musical styles and genres -- an alchemy that became his signature sound, a “new American Classical music." He's performed for U.S. Presidents ... he's recorded with Dolly Parton, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Randy Travis, The Judds and many more ... and he also created an entirely American school of string playing called The O'Connor Method.   Now, he's written a memoir entitled Crossing Bridges about his journey from child prodigy to fiddler who dared the world. He and his beloved, the extraordinary musician Maggie O'Connor, have been touring the country playing book release concerts, but they took some time to sit down with us on the Charlotte Is Creative Podcast!   LINK TO THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:   Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 2 by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band