25 Tastemakers & Trendsetters
People who are shaping the future of string playing
Mark O'Connor, Chris O'Riley, Owen Pallett, Rachel Barton Pine, DBR
Mark O’Connor
Violinist, educator, pedagogue
Creating an American string method with global implications
If one has any doubts about the depth of Mark O’Connor’s passion for American heritage music, one has only to read his online manifesto to be assured that he is, in fact, a man on a mission. “I . . . have no quarrel with masterpieces from Europe,” O’Connor opines, “but we are not Europe’s musical colony. Our own musical resources are too vast and too rich for so many serious American composers to continue to reject.” His efforts to promote a purely American school of music are manifest in his own compositions and his popular summer fiddle camps and string summits. They have now culminated in his O’Connor Method Books, which teach students to play stringed instruments using American music as source material. Eventually meant to cover the ground between absolute beginner and advanced player in ten volumes, the method now offers books one and two for violin and book one for viola, cello, and orchestra. From blues to bluegrass, ragtime to rock ’n’ roll, Mark O’Connor’s Method is establishing a legitimate American school of music, one tune at a time. —M.W.
Christopher O’Riley
Pianist, ‘From the Top’ host
Shining a spotlight on top teen string players
Now in its 12th year, From the Top, hosted by the low-key pianist Christopher O’Riley, presents gifted teen classical musicians in a manner that honors their artistic achievements while respecting their humanity and personal ambitions (yes, a high-achieving violinist can harbor the dream of becoming a NASCAR superstar). Broadcast on more than 200 radio stations nationwide to an audience of more than 700,000 listeners each week, From the Top is one of the most popular classical music programs on radio. The show’s PBS-TV counterpart documents kids as they prepare to perform at Carnegie Hall with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and Hilary Hahn. As a partner with the New England Conservatory of Music, From the Top has awarded $1.4 million in scholarships funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The show also is a resource for string educators, offering an online teacher kit.
Learn more at fromthetop.org.
—G.C.
Owen Pallett
Violinist, composer, arranger
Bringing strings to indie-rock and Baroque-pop fans
The past 25 years has seen the emergence of indie-rock, and string players have been an integral part of that popular music movement (cellist Lori Goldston performed with Nirvana at its influential MTV Unplugged appearance, and Melora Creager of the rock cello trio Rasputina toured with that landmark grunge band in its final year). Canadian Renaissance man Owen Pallett has stepped up the game, through his own bands, but most notably as an arranger for Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Beirut, and others. From avant-garde orchestral music to indie-rock, this acclaimed 31-year-old Canadian is helping to shape the sound of modern pop.
Learn more at owenpalletteternal.com
—G.C.
Rachel Barton Pine
Violinist & inquisitive mind
Scholar points the way to the road less traveled
Rachel Barton Pine’s work inspires the admiration of rockers, alt-style proponents, classical enthusiasts, performance-practice purists, educators, and musical philanthropists alike, and her dedication to unveiling unfamiliar music to the public sets her apart in yet another way. “My biggest heroes are musicologists and music researchers,” she told Strings in a 2011 interview. Her own research and work with musicologists has led to several landmark recordings. Among them, Violin Concertos by Black Composers of the 18th and 19th Centuries resulted from her collaboration with Chicago’s Center for Black Music Research. Her admiration for violinist Maud Powell led to American Virtuosa: Tribute to Maud Powell, a recording of works played by, and often arranged by or dedicated to, the little-known and seminal 19th-century virtuoso. And the recent Capricho Latino benefits from Barton Pine’s lifelong quest to discover obscure solo violin gems. Composers, past and present, have an enthusiastic champion in the form of RBP, and string players and listeners are better for her scholarship. —M.W.
Daniel Bernard Roumain
Violinist, educator, composer
Multidisciplinary inspiration as an educator with street cred
Daniel Bernard Roumain is an artist who forges connections with his work: classical, hip-hop, music, dance, photography, poetry—DBR, as he’s known, and his collaborators fuse them all into a kind of living canvas, where all the pieces contribute to a rather dazzling whole. But his ability to connect doesn’t stop there, because he’s using his imagination to inspire a new generation of artists that, like him, want to create using more than one brushstroke. It’s his connection with these young musicians that will take music to the next level and into the next century. DBR, who served as assistant composer-in-residence at the Orchestra of St. Luke’s for three years, offers educational programs that demonstrate the ways in which his inspiration take form and teach students to unleash their own creativity by composing group pieces on the spot, integrating theory and composition lessons. He can connect his residencies to a school’s multicultural programs and teach leadership and entrepreneurship. In a Strings interview, DBR said, “All of [my] experiences have required me to be able to compose music that reflects . . . many varying cultures, styles, and tastes. . . . Interestingly, I find more similarities than differences, and my music hopes to celebrate the bonds that bind them together.” Because of his eclectic outlook, DBR connects with sometimes alienated students who are ready to create music that reflects their world. —M.W.
