Mark O’Connor Takes Part In 7th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days, Starting Tomorrow

Dedicates concert to cause, awards Daniel Pearl Memorial Violins
 
Composer and violinist Mark O’Connor will join artists like R.E.M., Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Herbie Hancock in taking part in the 7th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days, occurring between October 1 – 31st. To mark this global celebration of tolerance and understanding through music, O’Connor’s October 3rd concert with the Dayton Symphony Orchestra in Dayton, Ohio will be dedicated to the memory of journalist Daniel Pearl. In addition to dedicating a concert to the cause, O’Connor oversaw the awarding of Daniel Pearl Memorial Violins to a pair of students at his annual string camp earlier this month.

Daniel Pearl World Music days began on October 10th, 2002, on what would have been the 39th birthday of tragically slain journalist Daniel Pearl. Pearl was an amateur violinist and lover of music, and the event grew out of his family’s wish to honor his belief in the importance of cross-cultural communication through words and music. The event is not a fund-raiser; it exists simply to promote understanding in an increasingly polarized world. That first year featured more than 100 concerts spread over 18 countries, and by last year had expanded to include more than 500 concerts across 42 countries. This year looks to be even bigger.

Mark O’Connor also recently hosted Daniel Pearl’s parents, Judea and Ruth Pearl, at his annual string camp in California. The Pearls, whose son was a fan of Mark O’Connor’s, were on hand for the annual awarding of The Daniel Pearl Memorial Violins, a pair of priceless handcrafted instruments, to two promising students from O’Connor’s camp, an annual tradition. Says O’Connor, "I believe this is a wonderful and fitting way to honor the late Mr. Pearl, an acclaimed journalist and amateur violinist. As these students practice and perform with the Pearl violins for a year - until the following Camp, when new students receive the instruments – they may come to appreciate the thirst for knowledge and message of healing that defined Pearl's life and career." This year’s recipients were Ian Stewart (16) and Sam Weiser (14).


http://www.danielpearlmusicdays.org/ 

www.markoconnor.com 

For booking information, please contact Mark Alpert at Columbia Artist Management Inc : 212.841.9568
 
For more information on Mark O’Connor, please contact Nick Baily
[nbaily@shorefire.com] or Matthew Amoroso [mamoroso@shorefire.com] at Shore Fire Media, 718-522-7171