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The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience blends classical music with rap, rhythm, and bold creativity, reimagining iconic works by composers like Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven with fresh sounds and unexpected twists.
Led by composer and pianist JooWan Kim, the group brings together MCs, a lyric soprano, and a full chamber orchestra to create music that’s powerful, playful, and totally original. Every piece challenges expectations by mixing the structure of classical with the raw energy of hip-hop, offering something fresh with every performance.
This is not your typical night at the symphony. With driving beats, fast rhymes, and rich orchestral textures, the vibe feels more like an underground club than a concert hall.
Concert Snapshots
In hip-hop culture, an MC is a rapper—someone who writes and performs rhymed verses. Instead of rehearsing in a traditional way, the MCs often develop their lines in a cypher, a freestyle circle where ideas flow collaboratively.
The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience features turf dancing, a form of street dancing with roots in Oakland, CA.
Artistic Director JooWan Kim isn’t just a composer—he’s also trained in Zen meditation and SunDo, a Korean Taoist internal practice that blends breathwork, movement, and energy awareness.
Wine Sponsor
Before the concert and during intermission:
Wine is available from our wine sponsor.
Sweet treats and non-alcoholic drinks are also available.
All proceeds support the Walla Walla Symphony.
About the Guest Artists
Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience Team
JooWan Kim - Artistic Director
At the age of 20, Korean born composer JooWan Kim moved to the U.S. and began his formal study in composition. During this time, Kim also trained in Zen meditation and Sundo (仙道), a Korean Taoist internal alchemy under the tutelage of Venerable Hyunoong Sunim for seven years. JooWan still maintains his daily practice.
Christopher Nicholas - Executive Director
Christopher Nicholas received a dual B.M. in Songwriting and Vocal Performance from Berklee College of Music in 2004. He was awarded the prestigious Berklee Achievement Scholarship and received an honorable mention for his original song, “I Write these Words” in the Berklee Songwriting Contest. He was granted the Patsy C. & Fred W. Patterson College of Music Scholarship to the University of North Texas, completing an M.M. in Jazz Studies in 2009. In addition, Nicholas was a featured soloist on the album “In Case you Missed it” with the U.N.T. Jazz Singers directed by Paris Rutherford. In 2010, along with the artistic director, JooWan Kim, Christopher co-founded Ensemble Mik Nawooj. They ran the organization overseeing many successful campaigns in PR, fundraising, and tours. In 2016, Chris directed the second album campaign with the artistic director resulting in national recognition from Huffington Post, Pitchfork, ESPN, and NFL Super Bowl.
Unity Lewis - Resident MC
Unity Lewis began making music, performing, drawing, painting, and sculpting at the age of three. He started seriously recording music and founded his first rap group in Los Angeles when he was 13. In the Fall of 2000, Unity moved to the Bay Area where he completed his bachelor’s degree in fine arts at the California College of the Arts. Since 2001, Unity has taught Hip-Hop and art in public schools across the Bay Area and on the island of Guam, where the local legislature awarded a resolution for his contribution to students’ lives in 2005. For over 20 years now, Unity has been creating, releasing, and performing his own music full time as well as curating art exhibits in addition to continue his growth as an art educator. Lewis has collaborated with artists such as Dead Prez, Sly Stone, George Clinton, Oscar Brown Jr., Umar Bin Hassan of The Last Poets, and more. As a visual artist and curator, he has exhibited and featured in publications alongside Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, Hank Willis Thomas, Betye Saar, Samella Lewis, and many others.
Kirby Dominant - Resident MC
Kirby Dominant is a Bay Area underground hip-hop giant who doesn’t need much introduction. He started releasing records since 1998 collaborating with such artists as Hieroglyphics, Living Legends, Murs, Roy Hargrove, Moka Only, Factor, and many more. Dominant is one of the primary reasons EMN started. He encouraged JooWan who was then a conservatory student to make an album together after a successful novelty performance in 2006. We here at Ensemble Mik Nawooj are grateful for his artistry, insights, friendship, and are excited to have him back as our resident MC
Yung Phil - Turf Dancer
Oakland native Phillip Mays, aka Yung Phil, is a pioneer of turf dancing, a form of street dancing with roots in Oakland, California. He has collaborated with many well-known hip-hop artists, including Lil Jon, E-40, G-Eazy, YG, DJ Snake, Tyga, Quavo, and more, performing alongside them on tour and in music videos. In 2019, Yung Phil was featured on NPR (KQED) in a piece highlighting Oakland’s hip-hop dance culture.