Black Violin to Bring “Classical Boom” Style to Houston
“Black Violin upends cultural and musical stereotypes…an unexpected blend of classically trained musicianship and hip-hop beats and inventiveness.” —The Miami Herald
Their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation.” —NPR
HOUSTON (March 10, 2020) – Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) presents classical hip-hop crossover duo Black Violin in the Impossible Tour on Tuesday April 7, 2020 at 8 pm in Jones Hall. With a list of collaborators including Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Wyclef Jean and Wu-Tang Clan, the group showcases their genre-bending “classical boom” sound. Fierce advocates for educational outreach, Black Violin will also host a workshop for orchestra students from Cesar E. Chavez High School in Jones Hall on April 7th, including a special collaboration with the students during the performance.
Black Violin’s record Stereotypes (2015) debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart and #4 on the Billboard R&B Chart. NPR praised the album and band, saying “their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation.” Their latest album Take the Stairs was released in October 2019.
Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist Wil Baptiste and violinist Kev Marcus. Originally from South Florida, they began playing together in their high school orchestra class. After attending separate colleges Kev and Wil reunited and decided to combine their classical training and love for hip-hop music; establishing a distinguished, genre-bending sound that has often been described as “classical boom”.
Black Violin’s Impossible Tour spreads the message that anything is possible— there are no limits to what one can achieve, regardless of circumstance. The focus is positivity and encouragement. As Wil Baptiste puts it, “When you come to a Black Violin concert, there are so many people in the audience experiencing something together. To me, that’s what our show does, it brings people together. Not only that, you’re being inspired, you’re being uplifted, you’re able to see something you probably have never seen before.”
Tickets for Black Violin: Impossible Tour start at $39 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at www.spahouston.org, by calling 713-227-4772 or in person at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615 Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 am – 5 pm Monday–Friday. Prices are subject to change.
About Black Violin
Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist Wil Baptiste, and violinist Kev Marcus. Creative collaborations include Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, Lil Wayne, and Alicia Keys. In 2016, Black Violin composed music for FOX’s hit TV series Pitch and the group has made appearances on HBO’s Ballers, The Tonight Show, The Wendy Williams Show, The Ellen Show and the 2016 Heisman Trophy Presentation on ESPN. Black Violin are advocates for educational outreach and were announced as Turnaround Artists for Mary B. Bethune Elementary School in their hometown of Broward County, FL. Turnaround Arts, a national education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts infuses arts into struggling schools to support overall reform efforts. Founded by President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in 2012, the program partners schools with music instrument grants, arts supplies, professional development, musicals, and pairs each school with an artist to provide mentorship, inspiration, and support for the school’s journey in the program. Turnaround Artists include Elton John, Edward Norton, and Yo-Yo Ma, among other highly acclaimed members of the arts community. Additionally, Black Violin continues to perform for more than 100,000 students annually throughout North America and Europe.
About Society for the Performing Arts
Founded in 1966, Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) is the largest independent non-profit presenting organization in the Southwest. Since its inception, SPA has sponsored more than 1,000 performances of the world’s finest music, dance and theater events, in adherence to the belief that the arts are fundamental to the overall enrichment and quality of life within a community. In addition to presenting artists, SPA seeks to provide a variety of learning experiences for adults and children through master classes, lectures and special student performances, as well as build relationships between the performing arts and other interests within the greater Houston area and throughout the state of Texas. Learn more at spahouston.org