Mark O'Connor's An Appalachian Christmas Arrives at Segerstrom Center Tonight

Genre-bridging musical sensation Mark O'Connor brings his celebrated Appalachian Christmas Tour to Segerstrom Center for the Arts tonight, December 15 in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

O'Connor's An Appalachian Christmas album (2011) reached the #1 ranking on Billboard's Bluegrass Album charts and has been in the top five each year since. Hailed by critics from the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times as a top 10 album of the holiday season, it has become a perennial classic Christmas recording.

Tickets for Mark O'Connor start at $29 and are on sale now. Single tickets start at $29 and may be purchased online at SCFTA.org, the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746.

O'Connor says, "Appalachia is the original melting pot of our country, featuring more diverse styles of American music than just about anywhere. This theme makes for what is a trilogy of my Appalachia recordings now." The music of An Appalachian Christmas mixes holiday arrangements, both instrumental and vocal, in bluegrass and other American musical genres. Concertgoers will be treated to fresh takes on traditional Christmas carols with a few original compositions as well. O'Connor's renditions are playful and joyous, but can be strikingly earnest too.

The touring musicians with Mark O'Connor are substantial artists in their own right. Singer and fiddler Carrie Rodriguez has toured extensively with Bill Frisell, Cia Cherryholmes was the lead singer and banjoist in the hit bluegrass band The Cherryholmes, singer and mandolinist Forrest O'Connor is touring this upcoming season with The O'Connor Family Band featuring Mark O'Connor, Joe Smart is a two-time National Flatpick Guitar Champion, violinist Maggie O'Connor tours regularly with her husband Mark O'Connor performing violin duos, and bassist Michael Rinne regularly performs with Rodney Crowell. Due to popular demand, this is the 5th year these performers are touring with An Appalachian Christmas!

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution and as well as a beautiful multi- disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School, where students ages 3 - 14 are taught by acclaimed teachers utilizing the renowned ABT National Training Curriculum in studios utilized by the world's greatest dancers and choreographers.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family- friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events.

The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year. In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

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