The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience aka Ensemble Mik Nawooj is a San Francisco Bay Area-based musical group that merges classical and hip hop styles. They are best known for The Great Integration, their "chamber hip hop opera."Straus, Tamera. "Heads up at Yoshi's." San Francisco Chronicle. July 22, 2010. Alburger, Mark. "JooWan Kim's Integration." 21st Century Music. Volume 17, Number 10. October 2010.
Members Classically trained composer and pianist JooWan Kim founded Ensemble Mik Nawooj in 2005. In 2010, after 5 years of hiatus, Kim co-founded Golden Fetus Records to push the group independently.Holt, Devin. "Composer JooWan Kim Explains Ensemble Mik Nawooj, Oakland's Hip-Hop Orchestra" SF Weekly. Sep. 6 2013.
Acclaim The Great Integration was voted the #1 R&B/Hip-Hop album of February 2010 by Pirate Cat Radio, and the group has received acclaim from jazz artist Ahmad Jamal.Malone, Rik. "A "Great Integration" of Musical Genres." KQED Arts. Aug 17, 2010. Voice of America internationally released their award winning documentary, Method Sampling in January, 2025. "52 Documentary" VOA. Jan 9, 2025. PBS ALL ARTS premiered the concert film, The Hip-Hop Orchestra Experience in March, 2025.WNET "ALL ARTS Documentary Selects" PBS. Mar 19, 2025.
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