February 13, 2012 Finding inspiration from such classical comedic forefathers as Victor Borge and P.D.Q. Bach, violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo relish overturning traditional attitudes toward classical music. Watch their performance in NPR's studio.
Violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Hyung-ki Joo believe that classical music should be fun. That's why they subvert it whenever they appear on stage.
Igudesman and Joo are professional musicians who kick the stuffing out of music. They use every means at their disposal to find a laugh: combining elements of serious music with pop songs, playing instruments with unorthodox devices and generally cutting up on stage. Their YouTube videos (beginning with one called "Rachmaninov Had Big Hands") have received more than 20 million views. Igudesman and Joo have been touring the U.S., and recently stopped by NPR to play — in both senses of the word.
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