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Genesis Owusu is set to perform live with a full orchestra

Genesis Owusu will be flanked by 40-piece orchestras in Sydney and Brisbane for an upcoming concert series. 

Genesis Owusu is set to host a collaborative concert with the symphony orchestras of both Sydney and Brisbane, as part of Red Bull Symphonic’s 2023 event. For both concerts, the Australian rapper will be joined on stage by the respective 40-piece orchestras of each city, with the first symphony-backed performance slated for Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on March 3. The Sydney-based event will take place at the Sydney Opera House on March 23.

The Red Bull-presented events are billed as a collaborative effort between Owusu and composer Alex Turley, with the multi-instrumental support of each city’s orchestra. Speaking of the concerts in a press statement, Owusu said: “If you’ve seen me perform live, you know I love the drama. What’s grander and more theatrical than a punk-funk-rap enigma backed by a 40-piece orchestra? We getting real thespian out here.” 

Genesis Owusu with Sydney symphony orchestra
Credit: Press

Owusu’s concerts mark the sophomore edition of Red Bull Symphonic in Australia, with last year’s edition led by rapper Lisi in Brisbane. International iterations of the event have been hosted by the likes of Rick Ross, Camo & Krooked and more. The intent of the concert series, according to press materials, is to form a “collaboration between a modern-style artist and a classical music director, together with a full-scale symphonic orchestra”.

The upcoming performances promise the start of a hectic year for Owusu, following an already-mammoth 2022 for the rapper. Following the release of debut album Smiling With No Teeth, Owusu appeared on multiple festival lineups, hosted a floor-collapsing show in Sydney, and was the recipient of ACT’s Young Australian Of The Year Award. He also made his late night talk show debut in the US, performing debut album track ‘Gold Chains’ on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 

Presale tickets to Genesis Owusu’s 2023 Red Bull Symphonic concerts are available today (January 18) here