Mike Mills, of two-decade rock powerhouse R.E.M., and Robert McDuffie, internationally renowned violinist, have been close friends since they were teenagers growing up in Macon, Georgia. In the spring of 2016, inspired by the blurred lines between contemporary classical audiences, pop, and contemporary music, McDuffie commissioned Mils to write a new composition that they could share with audiences both classical and modern.
Over 2016, the friends debuted Mills' new work "Concerto for Violin, Rock Band, and String Orchestra", premiering in June 2016 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Peter Oundjian. The concerto, with orchestration and additional music by David...