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Press Release

March 11, 2025

For Immediate Release

April 25: Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta presents "Beethoven & Bluegrass" at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

Featuring Vega Quartet with Grammy award-winning fiddlers Mark and Maggie O'Connor

Award-winning string quartet joins renowned fiddlers for an evening of Beethoven, bluegrass duos, and original music by Mark O'Connor

"The chemistry between the players was immediately evident in the opening work, Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 95. It was remarkable, as if the ensemble had suddenly discovered a new vitality in its playing." – EarRelevant

On April 25, 7:30 pm, at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Mark and Maggie O'Connor join the Vega Quartet for "Beethoven & Bluegrass." The concert is presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta.

The genre-blending program features the Vega Quartet (Emory University's String Quartet-in-Residence) performing Beethoven's String Quartet No. 11, Op. 95 and Mark O'Connor's String Quartet No. 2 "Bluegrass."

About his quartet, O'Connor says: "From the bouncy bluegrass vocal-like melodies, to the blistering fast hot licks, to the rhythmic bow “chopping” to the gospel yearnings of the slow movement, I wanted to comprehensively dive down deep into the strains of this music. I wanted to further discover what this American musical art form means to string playing."

"Beethoven & Bluegrass" highlight reel

Mark and Maggie O'Connor take the stage to play bluegrass duos for the second half of the concert, which concludes with all six musicians performing Mark's famous "Appalachia Waltz." That work's recording with O'Connor, Yo Yo Ma, and bassist Edgar Meyer sold over one million copies.

"Beethoven & Bluegrass" with Mark and Maggie O'Connor and the Vega Quartet takes place at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street) on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $50, available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh. The concert is presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta with generous support from Sheila and Jon Davies and Dr. John and Linda Cooke.

Friday, April 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Beethoven & Bluegrass

with Mark and Maggie O'Connor and the Vega Quartet

presented by Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall

154 West 57th Street

New York, NY

Tickets are $60 ($50 + $10 fee) and are available at CarnegieHall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh

Mark O’Connor, Violin, Guitar and Mandolin

Maggie O’Connor, Violin and Vocals

The Vega Quartet (Emily Daggett Smith, Violin; Jessica Shuang Wu, Violin; Joseph Skerik, Viola; Guang Wang, Cello)

PROGRAM

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95

Mark O'Connor: String Quartet No. 2 "Bluegrass"

The Vega Quartet

Various/Trad.: Bluegrass Selections (to be announced from stage)

Mark and Maggie O'Connor

Mark O'Connor: Appalachia Waltz

Mark and Maggie O'Connor; The Vega Quartet

Mark O'Connor began his creative journey at the feet of American fiddling legend Benny Thomasson, and the iconic French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. 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 as well as several national fiddle, guitar and mandolin champion titles.

Mr. O'Connor performs his own compositions around the country that include numerous chamber works, orchestral suites and nine full-length concertos that have received over 700 performances with symphony orchestra to date.

Violinist and American fiddler Maggie O'Connor performs a variety of musical styles throughout the U.S. and beyond, most recently as a member of the Grammy Award winning Mark O'Connor Band. Frequently performing with her husband, violinist and composer Mark O'Connor, the couple has performed violin duos around the world.

Maggie is co-director at O'Connor Method String Camps featuring the popular lesson book series. She earned her Bachelor and the Master of Music degrees in violin performance at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

The Vega String Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at Emory University, is cultivating a new generation of chamber music lovers through dynamic performances and innovative community engagement. The New York Times raved that "[the Quartet’s] playing had a kind of clean intoxication to it, pulling the listener along…the musicians took real risks in their music making" and the L.A. Times praised their “triumphant L.A. debut.” The Vega collaborate with many of the world's finest musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, David Shifrin, Mark and Maggie O’Connor, Eliot Fisk, William Preucil, Richard Stoltzman, Robert Spano, Charles Wadsworth, Soovin Kim, and the Juilliard Quartet. They also commission, premier. and record works by leading composers. The Quartet is a frequent guest at numerous music series and festivals, including Amelia Island, Aspen, Bargemusic, Brevard, Highlands-Cashiers, Juneau Jazz & Classics, Kingston, Kneisel Hall, Mostly Mozart, Rockport, San Miguel de Allende, and SummerFest La Jolla.

Now celebrating its 32nd season, the Southeast’s largest and most active chamber music organization brings together some of the city’s finest resident musicians with internationally-known performers who are dedicated to performing the most delightful, exciting, and interesting music from the chamber repertoire in some of the most acoustically and visually beautiful spaces in Atlanta. The ECMSA's mission is to enrich the lives of the entire community and to create new generations of passionate and educated music lovers who will cherish and support this great art forever. The String Quartet-in-Residence program, held by the international award-winning Vega Quartet, lies at the heart of the ECMSA’s mission to spread this great music throughout the community, reaching audiences ages 2 to 102. The Vega is the first professional string quartet to ever make Atlanta their home base and as such, they are having a transformational effect on music education and performance throughout the area. Visit chambermusicsociety.emory.edu.