World’s Strongest Violinist Evan Pittman commemorated the start of Spring Break March 17th by performing Irish fiddling music for two very different audiences, and sharing lunch with an Arizona icon.

He began the day by performing Irish fiddling tunes (in honor of St. Patrick’s Day) for the physical therapists at T.O.P.S Physical Therapy and Osteopractics in Central Phoenix.  Evan has done multiple physical therapy sessions at T.O.P.S., and brought his violin to entertain the staff after an early morning training session.

At 11:00 AM, Evan performed for the residents of Morningstar Assisted Living Facility in Phoenix; he has played there multiple times as a volunteer during the past three years for Morningstar residents, sharing his repertoire of traditional and popular music, Irish fiddling, and patriotic favorites, but this time there was an added twist.  Immediately following his performance, the Director of the facility approached Evan and simply said “Justice O’Connor would like you to have lunch with her.”

In the audience was retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court.  Appointed to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan, Justice O’Connor was instrumental in some of the landmark legal decisions of the late twentieth century, and she invited the young volunteer to share lunch.  They engaged in a wide-ranging conversation with him over 45 minutes.

“It was quite an interesting experience having lunch with Justice O’Connor,” Evan said.  “Imagine my surprise when she asked me to have lunch after hearing me play!”

Evan will spend the rest of his Spring Break training in springboard diving in Tennessee.