Mark O'Connor

Mark O'Connor first knew that he wanted to be a violinist at the age of 11 in Seattle, having already played the guitar since age 6. Soon after, he began taking lessons fromthe legendary Texas fiddler Benny Thomasson. By age 14 he had won 3 national fiddling championships. After graduating high school, Mark toured the festival circuit and made a name for himself as a studio musician, playing the violin, guitar, and the mandolin (which he picked up on a lark in the early 80's, winning the World Mandolin Championship soon after). In 1990, he embarked on a solo career, and won numerous CMA Awards…