Classical Music Meets Hip-Hop with Black Violin

Contributed

Don’t miss the opportunity to see an incredible performance from Black Violin coming to the MIAC stage. This duo blends hip-hop and classical music into a unique, impressive sound.

TUESDAY, NOV. 10

Grammy-nominated classical/hip-hop duo Black Violin (Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste) will visit the Mary D'Angelo stage with a musical repertoire as crisp as the autumn air and vibrant as the changing colors of fall.

"Black Violin really defies categorization," says Brett Johnson, artistic director of Mercyhurst's Institute for Arts and Culture (MIAC). "And I think that's what makes them so appealing. You don't have to be a classical music enthusiast or a hip-hop fan to appreciate what they're doing." Culturally and ancestrally, Black Violin brings feelings of contentment within melodies from decades past.

Black Violin's music often reaches audiences beyond the stage and studio through their work with students, community centers, and youth symphonies – and that ethos will come with them to Erie. "We're looking forward to welcoming students from the Chautauqua Youth Symphony, the Neighborhood Art House, Erie's Public Schools, and Fairview School District, along with our own Mercyhurst students," Johnson continues. "We're also delighted to welcome singer-songwriter Jon Muq, who will open the evening. He's a remarkable artist in his own right and will make a wonderful addition to the program."

Black Violin's Be Free Tour honors the complexities of the human emotional landscape. With songs such as "Live My Life" and "Beautiful Day," the listener becomes witness to pride and esteem as well as the poetic quality of a life well-lived. Black Violin brings us a moment across time upon their bows and strings. "Smoke" has an incredibly heartfelt resonance. And for Erie audiences, all of this artistry will be laid out perfectly on the MIAC stage.

Johnson speaks to the expected experience: "Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste are extraordinary musicians who have built an international following by blending classical music with hip-hop, R&B, and pop. But there's also a larger message behind their work about individuality, creativity, and the freedom to be yourself. I think that's particularly meaningful for young people [at this time], and it's one of the reasons I'm so pleased to bring them to Mercyhurst."

7:30 p.m. // Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center, 501 E. 38th St. // $20-$45 // miac.mercyhurst.edu