Kev Marcus

Kev Marcus is a classically trained violinist and one half of Black Violin, the duo he formed with violist Wil B. Together they combine string playing with hip-hop beats and improvisation, performing with orchestras and on their own. Audiences who think of the violin as strictly a concert-hall instrument often leave a Black Violin show surprised by how naturally it moves between styles.

When Kev Marcus performs with an orchestra, expect Black Violin's set to open with a groove built from a drum machine or DJ before the strings enter, layering classical bowing technique over a hip-hop beat. He often plays melodic lines that echo popular American fiddle traditions as much as the concert repertoire he trained in, trading phrases with Wil B's viola. The orchestra typically joins for arranged sections that swell behind the duo's own material rather than accompanying a standard concerto. Listeners who come expecting a classical soloist should instead expect a show built around rhythm, call and response with the audience, and the surprise of hearing a violin do things usually reserved for a guitar or a turntable.