Black Violin's Be Free Tour merges classical string music with hip-hop in a high-energy, inspiring concert.
Black Violin bring their Be Free Tour to Atlanta Symphony Hall on Monday, October 19. The duo is made up of Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus, both classically trained violinists who built their act around playing hip-hop beats on strings. It's a high-energy show that puts the two of them center stage, blending soaring string lines with bold beats, and they've earned a Grammy nomination for the work.
What they're doing here is a bit of a genre-defying act. They take the classical training they both grew up with and set it against the pulse of hip-hop, and the two styles don't just sit next to each other ā they run through the same songs. The strings handle the melodies and the beats drive the rhythm, and the whole thing is built around messages of authenticity and self-expression. It's the kind of show that works as well for people who love classical music as it does for those who live for hip-hop, and it's a good bet if you're looking for something that doesn't fit neatly into one box.
There's also a side to the duo that doesn't happen on stage. Through the Black Violin Foundation, Baptiste and Marcus reach more than 100,000 students a year, bringing the same blend of classical and hip-hop to classrooms and young musicians. So when they talk about authenticity and self-expression, it's not just a line for the program ā it's something they're actively teaching.
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The concert is on Monday, October 19, at Atlanta Symphony Hall. The show starts at 7 PM, and the doors open at 6 PM, so you've got an hour to get settled before they take the stage.
