BLACK VIOLIN Comes to the Overture Center

Black Violin uses their unique blend of classical and hip-hop music to overcome stereotypes while encouraging people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds to join together to break down cultural barriers. "The Black Violin Experience Tour" comes to Overture Hall on Thursday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($30-$65) are available at overture.org.

The "Black Violin Experience Tour" showcases the two-time Grammy-nominated duo Black Violin, brought to life by Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste, invoking a mystifying musical fusion of exquisite classical sounds and exhilarating hip-hop beats. Their concert performance boldly merges centuries of music and unites audiences with a message of hope and possibility. Fans can expect to be immersed in a sound that transcends categories and celebrates ingenuity and ambition, proving anything is possible.

On stage, Kev Marcus gives an electrifying violin performance while Wil Baptiste delivers a magnetizing viola and vocal performance. Joining them are Nat Stokes on drums, DJ SPS on the turntable and Liston Gregory on keys. Together, they are reconceptualizing what a violin concert looks and sounds like, building bridges to a place where Mozart, Marvin Gaye and Kendrick Lamar harmoniously coexist. Black Violin invites you to think outside of the box.

For nearly two decades, Black Violin has been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals and building bridges in communities along the way. Marcus and Baptiste first met in orchestra class at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, becoming classically trained on the violin and viola through their high school and college careers. Post-college, they reconvened to produce beats for South Florida rappers and began building an audience in local clubs. They later went on to win Showtime at the Apollo in 2005 and eventually sold out headline performances at venues across the country, including a sold out two-night headline run at The Kennedy Center in 2018. NPR took note and declared "their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation."

Black Violin plays roughly 200 shows a year, many of which are performances for young, low-income students in urban communities. In the last year alone, the group has played for over 100,000 students with the goal of challenging stereotypes and preconceived notions of what a "classical musician" looks and sounds like.

"The stereotypes are always there, embedded so deep in our culture," says Wil. "Just by nature of our existence, we challenge those ideas. It's a unique thing that brings people together who aren't usually in the same room, and in the current climate, it's good to bring people together."

In 2019, the group launched the Black Violin Foundation Inc. (BVF), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth by providing access to quality music programs in their community. BVF believes that music and access to music programs should not be determined by race, gender or socio-economic status. Black Violin Foundation's inaugural program The Musical Innovation Grant for Continuing Education will provide scholarships to young music students to attend a program of their liking that fosters musical creativity and innovation

Our community partner for Black Violin is American Family Insurance. Overture is grateful for this community support that helps make these experiences possible.

Photo Credit: Mark Clennon

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