BLKBOK
BLKBOK | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Classical, Crossover |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, Composer |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | –present |
BLKBOK, pronounced "Black Bach", born Charles Wilson III, is an American neoclassical pianist and composer. His stage name is a self reference to the "Black Bach".[1]
Early years
[edit]Born in Detroit, BLKBOK grew up on the city's west side and attended Ann Arbor Trail Middle School. He attended Cass Tech High School for two years and then attended the Detroit School of Arts.[1] He displayed musical talent at an early age and began studying piano at age six. He studied for several years with piano instructor Toma Schwartz of Lathrup Village, Michigan.[1] By age eight, he was an acclaimed prodigy and won college-level competitions. He trained for over 10 years in classical piano and has been described as a "genre-bending pianist."[2]
Career
[edit]After high school, BLKBOK moved to Florida where he attended Full Sail University.[1] He gained acclaim for his talent as a pianist and toured with Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, John Mayer, Demi Lovato, and the Backstreet Boys.[1][3] He also worked as a studio musician with Timbaland and played in the Cirque du Soleil production of Michael Jackson: One.[1]
BLKBOK began his individual recording career with an EP titled "CVRART", which contained "clasicallyinfused renditions" of popular music by Drake, Cardi B, and others.[1]
BLKBOK adopted his stage name during the Covid pandemic while working on his first album. The album, "Black Book", was released in June 2021. The album was well reviewed and was featured at the first Juneteenth Foundation Freedom Concert in Washington, DC. His song "Stars (Ad Astra)" was performed in April 2022 as the first-ever piano duet from space.
BLKBOK's second album, "9", was released in 2023. Its title is a reference to the Little Rock Nine. The album includes spoken-word contributions from Felicia Thomas. The work as described as "a fresh spin on classical music" that "offers some lessons of hope and love for our troubled world."[4]
He has composed and performed classical piano music about Michelle Obama, the Murder of George Floyd, the Little Rock Nine, The Negro Motorist Green Book, and other aspects of black American history.[1][5][6] He cites as his influences artists as varied as Mozart and Mos Def.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Brian McCollum (October 12, 2023). "For Detroit-born pianist BLKBOK, inspiration takes many forms, from Mozart to Mos Def". Detroit Free Press. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Duante Beddingfield (December 3, 2024). "Detroit native, genre-bending pianist BLKBOK to play Ann Arbor's The Ark this weekend". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ John Sinkevics (February 16, 2023). "Detroit's BLKBOK hopes to introduce new listeners to classical music". Holland Sentinel.
- ^ "BLKBOK". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 13, 2023. p. G4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Solomon Wilson (July 18, 2022). "BlkBok makes new classical music inspired by Michelle Obama, George Floyd". KERA News.
- ^ Carena Liptak (July 17, 2022). "Positive Vibes Only: Piano Virtuoso BLKBOK Offers A Graceful Performance Of "Michelle's First Day At The White House"". Grammy Awards.