Igudesman & JooIgudesman & Joo
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    • And Now Mozart
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Leaves Audiences Howling with Laughter

The age-old question, can a concert be simultaneously bone rattling and sidesplitting now has an answer. As if Igudesman & Joo weren’t outlandish and ghoulish enough, they’re upping the ante with “Scary Concert,” a no-holds barred musical salute to the dark side that manages to tingle your spine and tickle your fancy. Under the pair’s spell, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has no choice but to give in and play along in special Halloween-themed performances from Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh on October 31 and at the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theater at West Virginia University on November 2.

Violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-Ki Joo are the wildly inventive comedy team whose YouTube sketches and musical mash ups have attracted close to 40 million viewers. Seriously talented musicians with the wit, sensibilities and improvisational bent that bring to mind Monty Python, “South Park,” “SNL,” and “Portlandia,” Igudesman & Joo hilariously waltz their way from Mozart to martial arts, Haydn to hip hop. By breaking down barriers between the stage, audiences and orchestra, their concerts roam several standard deviations from the classical norm. Anything can and usually does happen to the delight of enthusiastic fans worldwide.

Following in the tradition of their “Big Nightmare Music,” these masters of mayhem and mirth again commandeer a full-size symphony orchestra, whose members will channel their inner pirates, wizards and zombies and don costumes to match. “Halloween is a wonderfully zany holiday because it combines things that are really scary and really fun,” Igudesman says. “It’s a time to let the folly out, perfect for us.”

The Halloween homage mines the musical canon for the chilling and creepy as well as featuring the duo’s original works. “Horror Movie,” for example, is the violinist’s own brilliant paean to the creaky and crackling, the squeaks and squeals, sounds that frighten the living daylights out of filmgoers, but are sure to have listeners screaming in laughter.

 

What others say

“Describ­ing the Igudes­man & Joo humor in detail would be to deflate its bril­liance. For the put-­upon Igudes­man, think Jack Benny and Jascha Heifetz rolled into one. For the zany Joo, try an unholy Chico Marx, Vladimir Horowitz and Jerry Lewis mash-­up […] The Igudes­man & Joo anthem is Glo­ria Gaynor’s ‘70s hit song “I Will Sur­vive.” Igudes­man begins it as if singing a Russ­ian folk song, and he elec­tri­fies it by play­ing on the vio­lin strings with an elec­tric swiz­zle stick (on a price­less 1717 Santo Seraphin vio­lin, no less). Ulti­mately, it sur­vives –­ barely and hilar­i­ously — as an unclas­si­fi­able audi­ence sing‐along. But the idea of sur­viv­ing is also a seri­ous busi­ness with these two mirac­u­lous per­form­ers“

Los Angeles Times
Mark Swed

Since our first encounter with I&J in 2011, we (the musicians & staff of the Taiwan Philharmonic) had been longing for being part of the birth of the  “Scary Concert”.  From the perfect preparation of the music scores to the super efficient rehearsals, I&J not only inspired our musicians to be more creative in performances but also bounded them with our audience even tighter.  Right after the concerts, we received many inquires about when I&J will be back for another new project …. yes, from both orchestra musicians and audience.  The  Scary Concert is the healing concert for both audience and musicians in this stiflingly busy city life.

Joyce Chiou
Executive Director, Taiwan Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)

“A Lit­tle Night­mare Music brings sur­re­al­ism to the con­cert hall and takes its trousers down! Very musi­cal, very engag­ing and very funny.
A Big Hand for A Lit­tle Night­mare Music’s Big Hands.“

Terry Jones
Comedian/Monty Python/Director

Next Dates for Scary Concert

No shows booked for this tour at the moment.

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