San Diego recording artist Steve O'Connor is well known for not only his
masterful jazz guitar work, but also as a composer, arranger and producer.
Steve was born in San Diego and attended San Diego State University. He was awarded the prestigious Down Beat Magazine scholarship for jazz composition and improvisation to Berkeley School of Music. Following that, he became a studio guitarist in Southern California, and soon began his composing career.
Steve performed with such luminaries as Red Mitchell, Bob Magnusson,
Charles MacPherson, Bob Mover, The Joe Farrell Big Band, featuring ex-Chick Corea saxophonist Farrell, Mike Wofford, Don Menza, Frank Rosolino, Russell Farrentes (of Yellow Jackets fame), Oscar Brashear, John Gurin of the L.A. Express, and Joni Summers.
His extraordinary talent in writing led him to compose for Sea World, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Disney, the Muppets, the Republic of China, the 1994 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Seville World's Fair and the Kennedy Space and Rocket Center, as well as TV and radio commercials for Jeep, Toyota, Chrysler, Folgers Coffee, NBC, etc.
One of his more challenging commissions, The Nautilus Suite, was a composition for five jazz soloists and full orchestra, for the San Diego Symphony––which featured the great saxophonists Charles MacPherson, along with Hollis Gentry and guitarist Peter Sprague––among others.
He was also commissioned to compose a "trio" suite for violin, jazz bass and piano featuring Mary Karo, Bob Magnusson and pianist for Ella Fitzgerald, Mike Wofford.
His spiritual pursuits led him to The Western Esoteric Tradition. During that time, Stephen was initiated into the Knights Templars in Chartres Cathedral in Avignon, France, The Rosicrucian Order AMORC, The Martinist Order, The Order of Pythagorus and the The Order of Melchizedek. He also completed the full course from the Barbados School of Esoteric Studies. Stephen is now a practitioner of Qi Gong.
Stephen is the author of Harmonology––An Insider’s Guide to Healthy Relationships Through Music, and Counterpoint to Reality. Both books are available on amazon.com and most Internet Book Stores.
Stephen divides his time between living at his home in Nayarit, Mexico and his wife’s cottage in Quebec.
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A spiritual memoir that takes one behind the veil of perceived reality and into the world of ayahuasca, exorcisms, initiations into secret orders and meetings with shape-shifters, angels and demons.
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A Ground-breaking new approach to improving interpersonal relationships through music.
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