news-category: Campus News Over 400 Orchestra Students Present Concert with Grammy Award-Winning Violinists Mark & Maggie O’Connor at ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb on March 14 By Office of University Communications On March 8, 2024 Mark and Maggie O'Connor play in ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb's Dover Theatre in 2018 for a concert event. Free Event, Co-Sponsored by the University, will be held in Paul Porter Arena at 6:30 p.m. BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.â€”ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb is co-sponsoring an event hosted by six orchestra programs from Cleveland County Schools on Thursday, March 14, in Paul Porter Arena. Special guests for the free program at 6:30 p.m. that evening are Grammy award-winning violinists Mark and Maggie O’Connor. The huge concert will include all of the students — over 400 sixth- through 12-graders — playing a variety of bluegrass, fiddle, and concert music. The O’Connors will be featured in a duo performance. ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb Professor of Music Dr. Patricia Sparti is conducting two pieces; then each school director will conduct a selection in the program. Last month, students from area middle schools and high schools came to ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb for an Orchestra Festival and were critiqued by a panel of judges. Some of these same students will participate in the concert in Paul Porter Arena on March 14. The directors for the schools are: Andrew Wehmueller – Shelby High Billy Norton – Burns High Peter Strickland – Crest High Mandi Colson – Burns Middle Hannah Stevens – Shelby Middle Justin Harper – Crest Middle The directors have challenged their students to “Pack Porter Arenaâ€� for the event. Students will rehearse in the morning, and the O’Connors will arrive in the afternoon to practice before the concert. Mark has won three Grammy awards and is a 13-time National Grand Champion on violin and guitar. He has sold over 3 million records and has recorded with Earl Scruggs, Johnny Cash and Yo-Yo Ma. Eight times Mark was named Country Music Artist of the Year. Maggie, who has one Grammy award, has a unique background in both traditional classical violin training and American musical styles. She has regularly performed at the Grand Ole Opry with her husband in both band and duo configurations. In the classical world, she and her husband have performed around the globe, including the Leopold Auer Music Academy in Hungary and the Berlin Konzerthaus celebrating the centennial birthday of the legendary violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Mark is the author of a series of educational books called the O’Connor Method, which has become the fastest growing string method in the country. The O’Connor Method features American music styles, creativity, cultural diversity and western classical technical training. For more information about the event, contact Strickland at Crest High School, (704) 476-8331. ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb.edu. Mark and Maggie O'Connor play in ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb's Dover Theatre in 2018 for a concert event.
News Article ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb University Launches Open Door Guarantee, Expanding Access to Private Christian Education Free Tuition, Mandatory Fees Available to Qualifying Students from Families Earning $100,000 or Less Beginning in Fall 2027 BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.— ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb University is opening new pathways to affordability through its Open Door Guarantee, which will provide eligible students with free tuition and coverage of specified university fees beginning in Fall 2027. Eligible new first-time […] Office of University Communications | October 6, 2026
News Article ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb to Host 47th Annual Choral Clinic on Oct. 19 for Middle and High School Singers Students from Across the Carolinas will Rehearse with Distinguished Conductors Before a Public Concert in Dover Theatre BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.â€”ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb University will welcome student singers from across North and South Carolina for its 47th annual Choral Clinic on Oct. 19. The daylong event will culminate in a free public concert at 5:30 p.m. in Dover […] Office of University Communications | October 1, 2026
News Article ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb University Chorales Selected to Perform at Biltmore During Christmas Season Students Gain Memorable Musical Experience While Sharing Their Talents on Nov. 13; Community Members Encouraged to Purchase Biltmore Tickets Early to Attend BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—For many visitors, Christmas at Biltmore in Asheville, N.C., is a treasured holiday tradition filled with sparkling lights, towering trees and seasonal music. This November, a group of ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï-Webb University students […] Office of University Communications | September 30, 2026