How Atlanta’s Renaissance Orchestra went viral for remixing classical music

And watching the Atlanta group live feels like you’ve entered a sacred jazz club filled with what the kids call “aura.”

“These musicians are really playing for their lives, and (they’re) going out every day and really showing how passionate they are about what they’re doing,” said Tyrone “OG” Bowie, the orchestra’s founder and director. “And that comes across. You feel it. You can feel the soul. You can feel the intention that they put into the music.”

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

In recent months, the 28-piece outfit reached viral fame, most notably from their performances last fall at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur. Since then, they’ve played backup to rap greats Zaytoven and Boosie, headlined an Atlanta Hawks halftime show and performed for Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. In May, they’ll hit the road with Rick Ross.

But before then, the orchestra will make one of the final stops of their first major solo tour, performing at Buckhead Theatre Friday night. Bowie describes the show as a reflection of the predominantly Black orchestra’s self-belief to stand in their collective power, especially in the predominantly white space of classical music, one note and viral moment at a time.

“Nobody thinks I own an orchestra,” Bowie said, acknowledging the group often gets odd looks when not performing in Black spaces. “But that’s like my superpower. I’m from Birmingham, Alabama — from the hood. But you would never think somebody like that would be able to find the orchestra (and) do some revolutionary things like this.”

Welcome to the Renaissance

Like many musicians, Bowie received his primary musical education from the church. There, his mom sang in the choir, brothers played the drums and he played the piano. “The church developed my ear,” he said.

A decade ago, the 35-year-old, also like many musicians, moved from Birmingham to Atlanta (landing in Ellenwood) to further pursue those endeavors. He mainly supported himself by producing for local artists while also serving as a keyboardist and band coordinator for Orchestra Noir, another prominent ensemble in Atlanta.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

In 2024, he put all that experience together when he founded Renaissance Orchestra.

Bowie used his Rolodex of connections from previous work to start recruiting. His initial pitch to potential members? “We don’t have the money (right now), but are you willing to do this?”

“I just knew it would never be a perfect time to take that step,” Bowie, who also plays guitars, drums and bass, said. “So if anything, I need to take this step now.”

His timing was fortuitous, riding the trend of classical music being incorporated into hip-hop shows. Along with Zaytoven and Rick Ross, Jeezy and Gucci Mane are among rappers who’ve recently performed with live orchestras for the first time.

During a recent rehearsal at 800 East Studios in Inman Park, the group started with “Going,” a 2019 deep cut by R&B singer H.E.R. There were roughly 12 musicians at this practice, as Bowie, wearing a plain white shirt and black pants, posed as a quasi-choir director. This became increasingly apparent when he instructed violinist Annie Collins, who joined the group last year, to play an octave higher. He gently encouraged her to approach the notes slowly.

Collins was just as attentive to learning as Bowie was to instructing her. As a result, after a few runs of the song, Collins’ violin helped anchor the track. Though Collins leads the strings section, she’s a zealous student whose passion for music sharpens with each song.

For example, during a salsa rendition of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows,” Collins, with eyes shut and head titled, salsa danced across the room.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

“What really makes us special is that we’re able to play by ear,” said Collins, a music teacher at Landmark Christian School in Fairburn. “You don’t see any music stands down there. We’re getting ready to learn a whole bunch of new music, and we’re going to use our ears to do it.”

That immense skill is what appealed to Rem Hellmann, a booking manager for Eddie’s Attic. Hellmann discovered the Renaissance Orchestra last summer — like most people — on social media. He said their videos were a joy to watch amid constant doomscrolling.

Their first show at the venue was last November, followed by another show due to high demand. And another. And another. The shows were dubbed the “Renaissance Room.”

“What the Renaissance Orchestra does is they really kind of get to the music that you want to hear,” Hellmann said. “And even if you don’t know a song that they’re playing, they play it in a way that makes sense and is captivating.”

Initially, Bowie was slightly skeptical about the gigs. But, after seeing the reaction, he called the shows a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” On TikTok, some videos showcasing the Renaissance Room have thousands of likes, and in some cases, nearly 1 million.

“It moved so fast … the feeling is crazy, but you know, we’re nowhere near where we want to be, where we envision ourselves being,” Bowie said, reflecting on the group’s virality. “It’s like we’re just at the beginning.

More than a band

Bowie has big plans for Renaissance Orchestra, like releasing original music and becoming known in more mediums beyond music.

“We want to get into everything,” Bowie noted. “We want to get into the fine arts. We want to get into everything that’s culture-related … whether it’s music, whether it’s fashion. We really want to push the envelope forward when it comes to this culture.”

That’s why Renaissance Orchestra doesn’t solely include musicians. Content creators and videographers are just as essential to the group’s success.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Javier Crump, the orchestra’s creative director, was one of the first recruits for the Renaissance Orchestra. Crump, who mainly makes content on his iPhone, said a key to the act’s success online is “hunting for moments” of the crowd’s energy.

“The talent is inevitable, so as long as we can put it in front of the people and make it to where it’s digestible and familiar for them, it won’t take us seven, eight years to make it (successfully as a band). We can make it in a year.”

While Bowie admits that the heightened attention can be overwhelming, he’s grateful. The Renaissance Orchestra doesn’t have a concrete structure for each show. Instead, they feed off the crowd’s energy and each other’s, hoping that’s enough to keep people coming.

And, they do.

“We’ve only been around a little bit over a year, and the things we’ve been able to accomplish, you can’t fake it,” Bowie said. “The music that we play comes across through the phones. You can’t fake the feeling. It’s special. It’s a dream come true.”

IF YOU GO

The Renaissance Orchestra shows in Atlanta

8 p.m. March 20. Resale tickets priced at $120-$465 are available. Buckhead Theatre. 3110 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta. thebuckheadtheatre.com.

With Rick Ross. 8 p.m. June 12. $131-$380. Fox Theatre. 660 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. foxtheatre.org