The music of American vocalist, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Christian Gates, also known as The Philharmonik, always manages to transcend genres. This Cleveland-born artist's love for music literally took off in a playful way when, at the age of six, he tried to play what he’d heard in a classical piano concerto note for note at home one day. Later, as a teenager, he immersed himself in the hip-hop and R&B scene, inspired by acts such as OutKast, Common, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill, and set out on his musical and creative journey of discovery. His self-titled debut album was released in 2018, where he fuses the styles he admires into a fascinating electric, urban neo-soul blend, with his lyrics about community and society as a common thread. With three albums already out, this is a great time for The Philharmonik and his band to make their festival debut. Anyone who has watched the famous NPR Tiny Desk concert by this master innovator will surely want to be there.
