Ludwig van Toronto

PREVIEW | Roy Thomson Hall Presents Devonté Hynes With The Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Musician, classical composer and producer Devonté Hynes (Photo courtesy of the artist)
Musician, composer and producer Devonté Hynes (Photo courtesy of the artist)

Grammy-nominated Devonté Hynes will perform with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Lynch. The composer, producer and musician will be performing his own classical works.

The concert was postponed from its originally scheduled date May 2023.

Musical Chameleon Devonté Hynes

Based in New York City, Devonté Hynes grew up in the UK. He has performed as Blood Orange, a project that is still active, and formerly Lightspeed Champion. He released two albums of orchestral pop with the latter, and four solo albums of his signature atmospheric electro R&B under the former.

In his music, Devonté explores the complexities of life and identity in the 21st century, including the expressions of vulnerable communities like people of colour, and the queer and trans communities. Stylistically, he has written everything from mainstream pop to futuristic art music.

He’s collaborated with major pop stars such as Mariah Carey and Solange, and he’s toured with the likes of Harry Styles and Florence and the Machine. Devonté has also composed the scores for a number of film and TV projects, including Melina Matsoukas’ Queen and Slim, Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are, and Paul Schrader’s Master Gardener.

Over the last few years, in his solo work, Devonté has made a return to the world of classical music, where he received his first formal music training as a child. His work with Third Coast Percussion on their album Fields earned him a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Chamber Music or Small Ensemble Performance in 2020.

He has toured his Selected Classical Works program with the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the LA Philharmonic, a critically acclaimed appearance with the London Symphony at the Barbican, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia, among many others.

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