ATHENS, Ga. — UGA Presents brought Black Violin to Athens for a sold-out show at the Performing Arts Center Mar. 7. The group, which blends classical music and hip hop to shatter stereotypes, delighted the audience with an encore that featured music students from Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals high schools.

“Black Violin brings people of all backgrounds together to break down cultural barriers,” said Jeffrey Martin, director of the UGA Performing Arts Center. “These talented musicians also stress the value of arts education, and I’m thrilled that we could partner with Eunice Kang at Clarke Central and Rebecca Floyd at Cedar Shoals to offer their students this unique opportunity.”

Clarke Central’s Kang said, “Meeting and performing with such fantastic musicians was simply exhilarating. This is my 14th year teaching orchestra and I have never seen students so inspired and joyful. When they exited the stage they immediately started screaming and dancing as if they had just won the World Series! Thank you, Black Violin and UGA PAC for the experience of a lifetime.”

The involvement of the Clarke County high school students was made possible by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Georgia Council for the Arts.

“These types of activities enrich our community and create highly impactful and memorable experiences for everyone involved, both on stage and in the audience. The Performing Arts Center is uniquely positioned to facilitate these collaborations, and we appreciate the support of all who helped make it possible,” Martin said. “We always enjoy working with our campus and community partners and look forward to bringing more of these kinds of magical projects to the Performing Arts Center in the future.”

Photo of Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals high school students sharing the stage with Black Violin at the UGA Performing Arts. (credit: Kent Hannon)