Check out Black Violin at WMA May 9.
Black Violin hits the stage for their 2019 Impossible Tour for a one-night stop in Nashville, Tennessee at 8:00 p.m. on May 9th at War Memorial Auditorium. The Impossible Tour began shortly after wrapping up their successful 2018 Classical Boom Tour which consisted of over 90 concerts and included back to back sold-out performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The current tour began this January with over 40 high energy shows scheduled into the summer, including the Nashville stop.
Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist Wil Baptiste and violinist Kev Marcus. The duo, from South Florida, began playing together in their high school orchestra class. After attending separate colleges, Kev and Wil reunited, deciding 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.”
Thirty-one students from Metro Nashville Public Schools and Music City Strings will join classically-trained violist and violinist Wil B. and Kev Marcus of Black Violin at their one-night engagement on May 9 at War Memorial Auditorium. The students will participate in a 90-minute workshop with the artists to rehearse for a special performance with the group later that evening.
Music City Strings is a nonprofit organization that conducts classes, workshops, and public performances to foster high level music education for the students of Middle Tennessee. The program has enjoyed many successes at the local, national, and international level, naming it one of the top educational string-performance ensembles in the country.
Black Violin’s Impossible Tour is spreading the message that anything is possible and 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.”
Black Violin’s creative collaborations have so far included 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. They have even shared the stage with top names including Aerosmith and Tom Petty.
In addition to their public concerts, Black Violin has performed for more than 100,000 students in the past 12 months throughout North America and Europe. 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. Nashville’s historic War Memorial Auditorium is located at 301 6th Ave. North. Get your tickets now by calling at 615-782-4030; or online at WMArocks.com.
