On Saturday, Sept. 23, Black Violin, a classically trained violin duo that combines an array of daunting musical influences (such as jazz, hip-hop, funk and classical) to create a signature sound described as “not quite maestro, not quite emcee,” will perform at Sangamon Auditorium. The artists known as Black Violin, Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste, first met as students at the Dillard High School of Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and cite legendary violinist Stuff Smith and his album titled Black Violin as their greatest inspiration musically. Black Violin came into fruition during Marcus and Baptiste’s collegiate years, when Kev met Black Violin’s future manager, Sam G., and the trio formed a production company titled DKNEX. Since 2004, Black Violin has performed nationally and internationally with musicians such as Alicia Keys, Mike Shinoda, P. Diddy, Kanye West, the Wu-Tang Clan, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, Aretha Franklin, the Eagles, and many others. Tickets to Black Violin start at $45, and are available online at http://sangamonauditorium.org or by calling 206-6160.