BRUZIAK HOPKINS
& STACY

Margaret Bruziak Hopkins and Joseph Stacy, piano, play Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Concerto!

FIDDLE CONCERTO by Mark O’Connor – violin and piano
Margaret Bruziak Hopkins, violin and James Joseph Stacy, piano

The Fiddle Concerto by Mark O’Connor, 1992.
1st movement – lightly energetic
2nd movement – moderately slow
3rd movement – moderately fast

Written in 1992 and premiered in 1993, the concerto is noted for its blend of classical and American folk styles and the improvised nature of the solo violin part.

Margaret has been invited to perform this concerto on March 21, 2026 with the Lakes Region Symphony at the Interlakes Performing Arts Center in Meredith, NH. The excitement this concerto draws out for the audience is based on a cross pollination of the American folk and classical music styles. The first movement is a blend of two alternating musical subjects.  The 2nd movement is slow and emotional, is inspired by music of the Baroque period and one should imagine a story or a dance to fit its mood. The 3rd movement is based on a toe-tapping Canadian jig in 6/8 meter.

Margaret Bruziak Hopkins was born in Poland where she began her musical journey at the age of seven with violin studies. She was a member of the Boston Youth Symphony (formerly GBYSO). Margaret eared BM in Performance and Music Education from U Mass at Lowell, followed by extensive Suzuki teacher training at institutions across the USA. Her performance career has taken her around the world including appearances in Poland, Switzerland, Israel, England, Scotland, Wales, Canada and throughout the United States. An active leader in music education, she served as Orchestra VP for the MMEA, past president of the Maine Suzuki Association and past secretary of Maine ASTA. She taught violin in Saco and Old Orchard Beach school systems and currently serves on the faculty of Portland Conservatory of Music. In addition to her role as concertmaster of the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra, she performs regularly with the Artful Noise String Quartet, the Lakes Region String Quartet, and various ensembles across New England. She is also a sought-after freelance musician.

She is a proud mother of two daughters, grandmother of two grandchildren and shares her home with her cat, Lola.

Pianist Joseph Stacy has enjoyed a diverse career as a teacher and performer spanning the United States, Canada, and Austria, winning several prizes in piano solo and duet competition, participating in Louisiana’s Collaborative Piano Institute, Austria’s AlpenKammerMuzik Festival and Classical Music Festival Piano Seminar, and the Eastman Leadership Academy. He has presented at MTNA National Conferences (Maryland and Florida), the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (Illinois), and Collegiate Piano Pedagogy Symposia (Texas and Virginia).

Joseph earned his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance/Pedagogy from Ohio University, receiving the Undergraduate Achievement in Performance Award. He earned his Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of British Columbia as a Faculty of Arts Graduate Fellow. In addition to concertizing as a soloist and collaborator, Joseph has provided music for a prestigious ballet school, performed on organ and piano for various choirs and churches, and taught privately. He currently serves on faculty at the Portland Conservatory of Music.

Run Time: 45 minutes, no intermission.