Today, GRAMMY-nominated classical-meets-hip-hop duo Black Violin released “Beautiful Day” featuring R&B legend Lalah Hathaway, the final single from their album Full Circle (out this Friday). Produced by Phil Beaudreau (Dr. Dre, Justin Bieber, The Game), the album marks a bold new chapter for the genre-defying duo. Today the duo also announced an extensive fall US tour, full list of dates are below.

 

Tickets go on sale Friday, May 2 at 10:00 AM:

• Online at DPACnc.com
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Ticket Center at DPAC: 919.680.2787,
  123 Vivian Street / William V. “Bill” Bell Way, Durham, NC
• Ticketmaster.com

Listen to “Beautiful Day” featuring Lalah Hathaway

 

”‘Beautiful Day’ is a reminder that no matter the chaos that surrounds us, there is always beauty in the present moment,” says Black Violin’s Will Baptiste. “It’s about choosing to see the light, embracing the small joys, and grounding ourselves in the life that’s happening right now.”

 

Black Violin members Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus met on the first day of orchestra class in 1996 at Dillard High School of the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. (Baptiste originally wanted to play saxophone in the band, but the orchestra teacher got him assigned to his class after winning a golf bet with the band instructor.) Classically trained by day, they faithfully put on their headphones and listened to the hottest rap records each night. They went to different colleges—Marcus attended Florida International University and Baptiste went to Florida State—but then reconvened, moved into an apartment together, and started trying to produce other musicians.

 

They developed an act covering hip-hop songs on their violins, which became popular in local clubs. Two years after sending in a tape to Showtime at the Apollo, they were invited to appear on the show—which they won, and kept winning. They were approached by the manager of Alicia Keys, who asked them to perform with the singer at the Billboard Awards. Other offers followed—they toured with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, opened for the Wu-Tang Clan, and worked with the likes of Alessia Cara, 2 Chainz, and Lil Wayne. All the while, Black Violin continued touring non-stop (playing as many as 200 shows a year) and released two independent, self-financed albums before putting out the acclaimed Stereotypes in 2016, followed by 2019’s Take the Stairs, which was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 2020 GRAMMYs.

 

Black Violin has always been about taking things further, exceeding expectations, challenging conventions. The duo has steadily built a devoted following and a diverse touring base— culminating in such triumphs as two sold-out shows at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra commemorating the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, and appearances on the Today Show, CBS Mornings, and PBS Newshour—while occupying a musical lane that’s entirely its own.

 

Black Violin’s work extends far beyond the stage, reaching deep into communities nationwide with numerous free performances for students and hands-on engagement with youth symphonies and community centers. Through collaborations with local and national education programs such as Turnaround Arts, Baptiste and Marcus connect with more than 100,000 students throughout the year, including low-income and Title 1 schools, and adopted Bethune Elementary, in Florida’s Broward County (near where they grew up) to initiate an ongoing mentorship program. In 2019, the duo launched the Black Violin Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth by working with them in their communities to provide access to quality music programs that encourage creativity and innovation.

 

Full Circle finds Black Violin 20 years into their career, arriving back where they began—only now with the clarity that comes from experience. This new chapter is both a reckoning and a renewal, as they confront their past selves while evolving beyond them. The songs feel like natural extensions of their early work—refined, redefined, and charged with the paradox of returning and progressing all at once.

 

Tracklisting:

1. The Illest

2. Live My Life

3. Drama

4. King

5. The Walk

6. To The Top

7. Smoke

8. Beautiful Day (ft. Lalah Hathaway)

9. Joy

10. Black Box

 

Black Violin - Full Circle Tour - 2025

05.02 — Paducah, KY — The Carson Center

05.03 — Fort Smith, AR — TempleLive

05.04 — Dallas, TX — Majestic Theatre

05.06 — Lawrence, KS — Leid Center of Kansas

05.08 — Toledo, OH — Toledo Cultural Arts Center

05.09 — Bay Harbor, MI — Great Lakes Center for the Arts

05.10 — Flint, MI — Capitol Theatre

07.25 — Newport Beach, CA — Back Bay Amphitheatre – Hyatt Regency Newport Beach

07.26 — Del Mar, CA — The Sound

09.25 — North Bethesda, MD — Music Center at Strathmore

09.27 — York, PA — VENUE TBA

09.28 — Lynchburg, VA — Historic Academy Theatre at Academy Center of the Arts

09.30 — Charlottesville, VA — The Paramount Theater

10.01 — Patchogue, NY — Patchogue Theatre

10.02 — Keene, NH — The Colonial Theatre

10.03 — Red Bank, NJ — Count Basie Center

10.04 — Worcester, MA — The Hanover Theatre

10.05 — Albany, NY — The Palace Theatre

10.08 — Eau Claire, WI — Pablo Center at the Confluence

10.09 — Milwaukee, WI — Uihlein Hall

10.10 — Dayton, OH — Schuster Center

10.11 — Rockford, IL — Coronado Theatre

10.30 — Austin, TX — The Long Center

11.02 — Houston, TX — 713 Music Hall

11.03 — San Antonio, TX — HEB Performance Hall

11.07 — Hampton, VA — Jazz Legacy Festival

11.08 — Durham, NC — DPAC

11.09 — Bethlehem, PA — Musikfest Cafe

11.11 — Pittsburgh, PA — Carnegie Music Hall of Oakland

11.12 — Champaign, IL — Virginia Theatre

11.13 — Pontiac, MI — The Flagstar Strand Theatre

11.14 — Columbus, OH — Palace Theatre

11.15 — Cleveland, OH — KeyBank State Theatre

11.16 — Cincinnati, OH — Taft Theatre

04.16.2026 — Mesa, AZ — Ikeda Theater

 

For more information please contact:

Brett Loeb (brett@missingpiecegroup.com)

at Missing Piece Group

 

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