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Friday
SEP 22
7:30 pm
Black Violin
Sponsored by
Casually elegant dining. Memorable meals. Excellent service. Two great locations. After tonight’s show, please stop by TEN restaurant at The Eldridge Hotel or the Bird Dog Bar at The Oread.
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how NEA grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
This event is made possible through the generous support of Dick and Kathleen Raney.
SEP 22 | Black Violin
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There will be no intermission during this performance. Selections will be announced from the stage.
Black Violin Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist and violinist Wil Baptiste (Will B.) and Kevin (Kev Marcus) Sylvester who combine their classical training and hiphop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound that is often described as “classical boom”—blending classical, hip-hop, R&B, rock and bluegrass music. Live, they are accompanied by their incredible band, featuring ace turntable whiz DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes. Named one of the hottest bands at South by Southwest in 2013, the group was invited to perform at Bonnaroo and returned to SXSW to standing-room-only crowds. Since starting Black Violin a decade ago, Wil B. and Kev Marcus have performed an average of 200 shows a year in 49 states and 36 countries as far away as Dubai, Prague and South Africa, while appearing at official NFL celebrations for three Super Bowls, among other highlights. Their groundbreaking collaboration has seen them play their music for everybody from the troops in Iraq to both the official President’s Inaugural Ball for Barack Obama and the Kids Inaugural in Washington, D.C. Black Violin has shared stages with top names including Kayne West, Aerosmith and Tom Petty, and has creatively collaborated with the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean and Alicia Keys. Wil B. and Kev Marcus place heavy emphasis on educational outreach, and have performed for more than 100,000 students in North America and Europe in the past 12 months, including the featured musical act for the Blue Ribbon Festival at the Music Center in Los Angeles, where they performed for 19,000 fifth grade students from the Greater Los Angeles area over a three-day period. The band is endorsed by Yamaha Music, and has partnered with the National Association for Music Manufacturers (NAMM) to continue their advocacy for accessible music education.