Aleksey Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo are two classical musicians who have taken the world by storm with their unique and hilarious theatrical shows, which combine comedy with classical music and popular culture. Their clips on YouTube, to date, have gathered over 40 million hits, and the duo has appeared on television in numerous countries. Equally comfortable performing in classical concert halls, as well as in stadiums in front of crowds of 18,000, their collective dream is to make classical music accessible to a wider and younger audience.
Aleksey and Hyung-ki met at the age of twelve, at the Yehudi Menuhin School, in England, and since then, have remained strong friends and writing partners. In 2004, following in the footsteps of luminaries such as Victor Borge and Dudley Moore, they created their first groundbreaking show, “A Little Nightmare Music”. Since then, they have performed as a duo, and as soloists, with chamber and symphony orchestras at many of the world’s biggest stages and festivals.
Many of classical music’s biggest names, such as Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Janine Jansen, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky, Viktoria Mullova, and Julian Rachlin, have joined them in their musical sketches. Some of the world’s leading orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, have shared the stage with IGUDESMAN & JOO for their show “BIG Nightmare Music”. Aleksey and Hyung-ki have also teamed up with actors, such as John Malkovich, and former James Bond, Sir Roger Moore, on several occasions in aid of UNICEF.
Individually, Aleksey Igudesman has worked with musicians ranging from Academy® Award-winning Hollywood composer, Hans Zimmer, to multi Grammy® Award-winning vocalist, Bobby McFerrin. Hyung-ki Joo, has worked with Academy® Award-winning composer, Vangelis, and was chosen by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Billy Joel, to arrange and record Joel’s classical compositions on a CD, which reached #1 on the Billboard Charts.
IGUDESMAN & JOO can be seen in several films, including their own “Mockumentary”, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Classical Music”.
Besides touring their duo shows “A Little Nightmare Music” and “AND NOW MOZART”, they also perform “BIG Nightmare Music”, with symphony orchestras, and lead their education program “8 To 88 — Musical Education for Children of All Ages” at universities and music schools around the world, leaving students inspired and confident to break new grounds for their own musical journeys.
On New Year’s Eve, 2011, at the Vienna Konzerthaus, with the help of 100 violinists from all over the world, Igudesman & Joo set the world record for the most “Dancing Violinists” performing together on stage. The world record was conceived and produced by the duo in aid of UNICEF.