BLACK VIOLIN

For nearly two decades, Black Violin has been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals and building bridges in communities along the way. Members Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste first met in orchestra class at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, becoming classically trained on the violin and viola through their high school and college careers. Post-college, they reconvened to produce beats for South Florida rappers and began building an audience in local clubs. They later went on to win Showtime at the Apollo in 2005 and eventually sold out headline performances at venues across the country. Their 2019 album “Take the Stairs” earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, followed by a second nomination for “The Message,” a collaboration with The Blind Boys of Alabama. In 2019, the group launched the Black Violin Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth by providing access to quality music programs in their community.