Black Violin Joins Wasserman Music To Bring Amalgam Of Classical Music, Rap And Music Education To The Masses

Black Violin, a duo comprising Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste and synthesizing classical violin with rap to national acclaim, has signed for representation with Wasserman Music.

Merging string arrangement with modern beats and vocals, Black Violin won “Showtime at the Apollo” in 2015, sold out two nights headling the Kennedy Center in 2018, and regularly perform about 100 shows per year at theaters, performing arts centers and amphitheaters, as well as free concerts for young audiences worldwide.

Black Violin is co-represented Wasserman Music agents Andrea Johnson, Keith Levy and Paige Maloney.

Marcus and Baptiste met in orchestra class at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and teamed up after college to produce beats for South Florida rappers and performing in local clubs. 

Annually, Black Violin performs for tens of thousands of students with the goal of challenging sterotypes and preconceived notions of what a “classical musician” looks and sounds like. 

Over the last three years, the duo has reported average ticket sales of 1,393 per show and an average gross of $52,000.

“We’re thrilled to be working with this groundbreaking group!,” Johnson, Levy and Maloney said in a joint statement. “We look forward to offering our expertise and Wasserman’s extensive resources to help them continue building their business and reaching new listeners with their unique and incredible talent.”

Kev Marcus of Black Violin addec, “We are excited to join Wasserman Music and the highly experienced team of Andrea Johnson, Keith Levy and Paige Maloney. The resources and insight at Wasserman Music will be instrumental in the continued development of our touring business and brand partnerships and we are thrilled and honored to work with such an accomplished team.”

Black Violin launched the Black Violin Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth by providing access to quality music programs in their community, in 2019. BVF believes that music and access to music programs should not be determined by race, gender, or socio-economic status. 

Black Violin Foundation’s inaugural program, the Musical Innovation Grant for Continuing Education, will provide scholarships to young music students to attend a program of their liking that fosters musical creativity and innovation. Black Violin are also ambassadors of Turnaround Arts, a national program of the Kennedy Center, whose mission is to transform school through the strategic use of the arts.