Black Violin - BV20 Tour: Then & Now

Celebrate twenty years of "classical boom" with Black Violin at Sunset Center!

Violist Wil Baptiste and violinist Kev Marcus, known as Black Violin, combine their classical training and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound, "classical boom". Their album Stereotypes (featuring Black Thought of The Roots and MC Pharoahe Monch) debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart and #4 on the Billboard R&B Chart, with NPR declaring, "their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation".

Wil and Kev prioritize educational outreach and perform for more than 100,000 students each year. Recently, they were announced as Turnaround Artists for Mary B. Bethune Elementary School in their hometown of Broward County, FL. Turnaround Arts is a national education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts based on the idea that high-quality and integrated arts education can strengthen school reform efforts, boost academic achievement, and increase student engagement in schools facing some of the toughest educational challenges in the country.

"The stereotypes [of what a classical musician looks and sounds like] 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."

Black Violin is endorsed by Yamaha Music and Bose and has partnered with the National Association for Music Manufacturers (NAMM) to continue their advocacy for accessible music education.