Full Breakdown
The Illharmonic Orchestra Blends Hip-Hop and Classical Music
7/25/2026, 12:24:55 PM
Fusion Performance and Mission
The Illharmonic Orchestra presents a hybrid concert experience that pairs hip-hop and R&B vocals with a full live orchestra of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. In a recent show at the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C., the group performed a special set for NPR, showcasing the ensemble’s signature “house-party in a concert hall” atmosphere. The performance underscores the ensemble’s long-standing goal of demonstrating that hip-hop and classical music are not mutually exclusive genres.
Origins and Artistic Vision
Vocalist and composer Jeffrey McNeill first noticed connections between the two styles in 1987, when childhood flute and piano lessons coincided with his father’s introduction to The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.” A later exposure to the Beastie Boys’ “Paul Revere” reinforced the idea that hip-hop could sit alongside Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Nearly four decades later, McNeill and his wife, vocalist Andrea Coln McNeill, founded The Illharmonic Orchestra, performing under the monikers “Thee Phantom” and “The Phoenix.” Their partnership drives a mission to highlight Black talent in classical performance and to challenge perceptions of genre separation.
Ensemble Composition
The NPR-engineered session featured an all-Black orchestra with the following members:
- Andrea Coln McNeill – vocalist
- Jeffrey McNeill – vocalist
- Tauhida Smith – violin
- Leanne Holmes – violin
- Jillian Uzuegbu – violin
- Tara Cuffee – viola
- Kaleb Cabell – cello
- Robert Chittams – bass
- Alissa Gittens – flute/piccolo
- Ronnal Ford – saxophone/flute
- Xavier Hendon – trumpet
- Robert McIver – trumpet
- Tim Johnson – trombone
- Ashlei Peoples – keyboards
Official Statements on Diversity and Genre
Andrea Coln McNeill emphasized that the ensemble’s work aims to prove the two genres are not “completely different,” and to address the persistent lack of diversity in major symphony orchestras. She noted that musicians who look like the group’s members—whether conservatory-trained, holding Ph.D.s, or self-taught—are present and capable, and that visibility on stage helps audiences see themselves reflected in classical music.
