Máirtín O’Connor began playing the accordion at the age of 9, and his remarkable career has seen him as a member of many of traditional music’s leading groups including, Midnight Well, De Danann, The Boys of the Lough, and Skylark. His first solo album, A Connachtman’s Rambles, established him as a solo musician and proved a major critical success. The album remained in the British Folk charts for a considerable period. Máirtín’s second solo album Perpetual Motion, released in 1990, is one of the best accordion albums ever produced by an Irish artist and displays his astounding skill, dexterity and versatility to the full. The release in 1993 of his Chatterbox album gave further evidence of his outstanding technique, imagination and compositional talent.
Máirtín’s infectious and irresistible style and constantly growing status has kept him very busy not only with live concerts but also as a session musician on recordings by many national and international musicians such as Rod Stewart, Elvis Costello, Mark Knofler, Tanita Tikaram, Townes Van Zandt, Chieftains, the Dubliners, Davy Spillane, Maire Brennan, and the Waterboys.
Máirtín also played on the very prestigious Paris Mussette (vol 2) a series of records chronicling the history of the mussette, featuring top French accordion players which is included in the Phonographic History of French accordion Music. As a soloist he has performed with the RTE Concert Orchestra on Bill Whelan’s Seville Suite and in 1995 he played a major role in Riverdance. He has also worked on the music for Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Also in 1995 Máirtín became the first recipient of the Allied Irish Banks Traditional Musician of the Year award.
The Road West, his fourth solo album, features thirteen of his most recent compositions including the title track “The Road West.” He has also performed and recorded with Seamie O’Dowd and Cathal Hayden on the album Crossroads..
Instructor – Button Accordion
2018