For Nu Deco Ensemble co-founders Jacomo Bairos and Sam Hyken, symphonic music doesn’t have to be stuffy or elitist; it can be fresh and accessible to all. “There are no ceilings, walls or anything caging us from exploring every genre and style,” Nu Deco artistic director and conductor Bairos tells PureHoney.
Merging full orchestration with contemporary songs since 2015, the Miami-based ensemble has brought down genre walls while working with everyone from Andrew Bird to Macy Gray. Now one of the most-followed U.S. orchestras on Instagram, they’re paying tribute to hip-hop’s poetic lyricism in a powerful collaboration with Chicago-bred rapper Lupe Fiasco.
This isn’t the first time they’ve gone hip-hop. In 2023, a clip of Nu Deco’s arrangement of “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” by Outkast racked up more than 20 million Instagram views and a repost by Big Boi himself. It’s easy to see why: Each violin and trumpet keeps the jazzy, soulful meter of the original, with a dash of record scratching included to strengthen the classical-contemporary bond.
The hip-hop tribute with Lupe will open with the world premiere of “Playground,” composed by pianist and YoungArts alum Pascal Le Boeuf. A chamber commission for Nu Deco, the work embodies Le Boeuf’s and Nu Deco’s spirit of experimentation, play and curiosity.
Lupe will then bring his signature lyricism to the larger-than-life, uplifting and heroic final movement of Shostakovich’s resounding Symphony No. 5. “It really mirrors the emotional depth we find in hip-hop: the struggle, defiance, triumph,” Bairos says. “It proves that great music across eras can really share the same emotional truth.”
Closing out the evening is a heartfelt symphonic tribute to hip-hop producer Timbaland and a new original Nu Deco work. “I think orchestras sometimes feel like the only style that they can elevate and produce is this classical based form of it, and I just simply disagree,” Bairos says. “By taking all these composers and instruments and combining them in this really fresh way, every piece of art can be uplifted equally.”
Nu Deco Ensemble performs with special guest Lupe Fiasco 8pm Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Miami Beach Bandshell. nu-deco.org ~ Olivia Feldman
