Meet our new playwright,
GILL SOTU
Classical Kids is thrilled to announce that we’ve selected the acclaimed artist Gill Sotu, a navy veteran, poet, playwright, musician, DJ, and performing artist, to lead us bravely and enthusiastically into the world of Joseph Bologne!
Mr. Sotu is a two-time Grand Slam Poetry Champion, two-time Raw Performing artist of the year, multiple TEDx presenter, and commissioned playwright with The Old Globe Theatre as well as other prominent theatres throughout southern California in partnership with La Jolla Playhouse. He is also a teaching artist with the Globe and Playhouse while serving as the official Poet in Residence for the San Diego Writer’s Festival. Gill has been commissioned to produce original pieces for leading arts and community organizations around the country, including creating young audience symphony productions for the San Diego Symphony. That, together with being a loving father of three young children, make him the perfect choice for Classical Kids.
We are so excited to bring spoken word, hip-hop and neo soul into the symphony concert world to help bridge the gap between today’s youth and the golden age of classical music, allowing orchestras and audiences to expand their ideas of who the great composers are and how we tell their stories.
“I cannot express how excited I am to be working with Classical Kids on this important project. As a father of three young children, to be able to help tell the incredible story of Joseph Bologne in a way that they can understand is an amazing opportunity for them and for me. To be able to use all my passions to tell his story – spoken word, playwriting, hip-hop, neo soul… is thick icing on an already very delicious cake. Illuminating who Saint Georges was and the impact he had on music, on justice, and on the breaking of barriers is extremely important. I am honored to be a part of this critical and timely work.” – Gill Sotu
