Cameron O’Connor

Award-winning and acclaimed as “stunning and emotive” (Eugene Register-Guard)  and “accomplished and soulful” (Portland Magazine) Cameron O’Connor enjoys a diverse career in solo, chamber, and contemporary music. Recent and upcoming highlights include solo and duo recitals throughout Japan; performing as a guest artist at the Loyola Marymount, Corvallis, Siempre la Guitarra, and Northwest GuitarFestivals; chamber music and opera appearances with Eugene Opera and musicians of the Oregon Symphony in their Classical Up Close concert series; as a chamber music soloist at the New World Symphony in Miami (for which the South Florida Classical Review noted that he was “especially effective in the quick and diabolical figures”); appearing as a guest artist and performing duos with Sharon Isbin at the Aspen Music Festival and School; performing with Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony; and appearing under the baton of Chinese composer Tan Dun in his Eastern-tinged Concerto for Six, for which the New York Times noted that “O’Connor fluttered on his guitar strings in a manner reminiscent of a pipa player’s technique.” He is furthermore a prizewinner in many international competitions, including the Frances Walton and Tokyo International Guitar Competition. His playing has been featured in films, including James Franco’s Don Quixote and Scott Tennant’s instructional classic Pumping Nylon, and his performances have been featured on Seattle’s Classical 98.1 KingFM,  All Classical Portland, American Public Media’s Performance Today, and KPFK’s Global Village. His recording of Michael Lee’s Unmasked (written for O’Connor) was chosen for Ablaze Record’s Millenial Masters, distributed by Naxos. As a composer, O’Connor won the 2019 Keene State College Call for Scores, the “Outstanding Winner” 2nd prize at the Changsha International Guitar Festival in China, and is a finalist in the 2nd Portugal International Guitar Composition Competition. O’Connor also performs regularly for musical theatre productions on electric guitar, banjo, and mandolin, as well as in early music settings on the vihuela and lute.

A strong believer in the importance of the accessibility of arts for the public, Cameron has spearheaded several events, such as free concerts at elementary schools and libraries, and has performed at several Classical Revolution Los Angeles events; he also organized the Royal High School Band Alumni Concert Fundraiser, the funds of which benefitted music students of the school. O’Connor’s teaching experience ranges from the Music Advancement Program at the Juilliard School to the Aspen Music Festival and School, as teaching assistant to Sharon Isbin; and at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music as a graduate assistant. He also gave several interactive performances each month in non-traditional venues– from hospitals to juveniles halls– as a fellow with the Thornton-Gluck Fellows Program. 

O’Connor was a full scholarship recipient at CSU Northridge, where he studied guitar with Ron Borczon and lute with Ron Purcell; the Juilliard School in New York City, where he studied with Sharon Isbin; and at the USC Thornton School of Music under William Kanengiser. Upon receiving his degree, the Thornton School recognized him as the Outstanding Doctoral Graduate of his class. He has served on the faculties of Oregon State University, CSU Bakersfield, Riverside City College, and Bakersfield College, and his compositions and arrangements can be found through LACG Editions (lacg.net).

 
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