GREENVILLE — The inspired lunacy of musicians Igudesman & Joo will debut Saturday at ECU’s Wright Auditorium.
Think Mozart hijacked by Monty Python, South Park meets Bach and you have some idea of the mayhem created by Igudesman & Joo. Their mix of classical and pop music, comedy and theatre is its own art form.
Called the successors to Victor Borge and PDQ Bach, violinist Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo are comedic as well as musical virtuosi. They kick the stuffing out of classical music, mixing genres and styles, pulling heavily from pop culture with hearty doses of humor and theatricality. They relish overturning traditional attitudes towards classical music. They are serious musicians who have turned the world’s most esteemed concert halls into standing-room only comedy clubs.
Their aim is to make classical music fun and more accessible to the public. While their spin may be irreverent, they always treat the music with the utmost respect. The duo is so seriously virtuosic that classical music heavyweights are among their biggest fans, and many have performed on stage with them.
The duo has been performing in cities across America in 2011 and 2012, including debuts at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center and a performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This year’s return to the U.S. for a multi-city tour will include the Wright Auditorium concert of their hit show “Big Nightmare Music.”
The Igudesman & Joo concert is part of the ECU S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series.
Big Nightmare Music: Igudesman and Joo
With Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
7 p.m. Saturday
Wright Auditorium, ECU campus
Greenville
Tickets/Info: 252-328-5386, Central Ticket Office in Mendenhall Student Center or call 800-ECU-ARTS