Mark O'Connor and Jane Monheit perform "Winter Wonderland" as part of "An Appalachian Christmas." 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 8, 2015) — One of the world's most celebrated musicians, Mark O'Connor, returns to the Bluegrass this winter with a wonderful holiday experience for the whole family. Mark O'Connor's "An Appalachian Christmas" will take center stage 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, at the Singletary Center for the Arts.

O'Connor is a product of America's rich aural folk tradition as well as classical music. He is a heavily decorated artist, having garnered two Grammy awards, six consecutive Musician of the Year honors from the Country Music Association, and seven National and Grand Master fiddling championships.

With a body of work that spans 45 feature albums of mostly his own compositions, O'Connor has melded and shaped his influences into a new American Classical music, and a vision of an entirely American school of string playing. Known to many musical giants as a peer, student and leader, O'Connor is highly respected in the industry and continues to inspire future artists.

"An Appalachian Christmas" is now in its fifth nationwide tour, combining the familiar melodies of traditional Christmas songs with O’Connor’s world-class musicianship. The Associated Press describes the concert as "heavenly" and the Boston Globe remarked, "All Christmas music should be played so elegantly on violin."

Tickets for Mark O'Connor's "An Appalachian Christmas" $38-$25 for general admission and $23-$15 for children based on seat location. To purchase tickets, contact the Singletary Center box office at 859-257-4929, on their website at www.scfatickets.com, or in person at the box office. Processing fees will be added to all transactions upon purchase.

A part of the UK College of Fine Arts, the Singletary Center for the Arts presents and hosts around 400 artistic, cultural and educational events annually for the university community, Lexington community and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu