Music
Glenn Alexander II: Asake's Red Bull Symphonic will honor Nigerian roots
This year's Red Bull Symphonic conductor, Glenn Alexander II, shares his vision for leading a historic collaboration between Afrobeats star Asake and a 33-piece orchestra.
On November 8, 2025 Red Bull Symphonic attendees will witness an unprecedented convergence of classical and Afrobeats music, headlined by one of Nigeria’s biggest stars, Asake.
For the past three years, the energetic performer has quickly taken his special blend of Afro-pop to the world stage. The next stop is Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre, where he will perform his greatest hits reimagined by a live orchestra. The singer’s venture into classical fusion is a masterclass in collaboration conducted by newcomer Glenn Alexander II.
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Red Bull Symphonic: Asake
Afrobeats sensation Asake will headline a one-night-only performance at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre, reworking his biggest hits alongside conductor Glenn Alexander II and a full orchestra.
“To marry this Symphonic world to the Afrobeats world — it's really dope,” Alexander shared during a conversation, just a week out from showtime. “I've never heard of anything done like this before. So to be a part of this historical night, I do not take that for granted.”
Alexander has assembled a world-class 33-piece orchestra that will perform alongside Asake’s band, an 8-piece choir, and dancers in a vibrant performance. Fans can expect 30 songs across strings, brass, percussion, vocals, and movement. This is a “long overdue” opportunity to make classical performances accessible to a wider group of music lovers, says Alexander, and he hopes the rest of the industry will be inspired to follow Asake and company’s lead.
Jason Ikeem Rodgers, Maestro for Orchestra Noir, and Rick Ross
© Stephanie Eley
Previous Red Bull Symphonic performances held in the U.S. have featured Metro Boomin and Rick Ross, who took trap into the classical realm with Maestro Jason Ikeem Rodgers. For this next installment, we hand the baton to a rising conductor, Alexander.
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Get to know Red Bull Symphonic Conductor Glenn Alexander II
Red Bull Symphonic newcomer Glenn Alexander II
© Daniel Fernandez
As the New York City-based Glenn Alexander II takes the reins in leading the Red Bull Symphonic Saturday night, he brings to the stage a range of impressive experience, holding titles from music director to conductor for major productions such as the national U.S. tour of Les Misérables and guest conducting numerous orchestras such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, and the Symphony of Southeast Texas.
His journey into music began as a kid, when one day he got the idea to bang on the piano at home. When his mom noticed his enthusiasm, she signed him up for piano lessons. He adds that pursuing a career as a conductor was a way to express himself confidently without having to speak on stage.
“I have a speech impediment, and because of that, I didn't like to talk as much when I was younger, so my way of expressing myself was playing music,” he reflects. He felt his most authentic self on the podium, connecting with musicians, comparing it to telepathy.
Banging on the keys sparked a passion for musicianship that snowballed into conducting, eventually leading him through rigorous training, mentorships, and early performances that laid the foundation for his professional career. He also credits a Black conductor from back home in Southeast Texas, Chelsea Tipton, who made him see this career as possible. “He's the conductor of the Southeast Texas Symphony,” says Alexander. In high school, the young musician saw Tipton perform and immediately thought, “This is an option for me.”
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Glenn Alexander II brings years of orchestra experience to Asake’s Afrobeats sound
New York City-based conductor Glenn Alexander II leads Red Bull Symphonic
© Daniel Fernandez
When we speak, Glenn is in the middle of reviewing 56 pages of music composed by Parnther, who is well-versed in many music styles, to prepare for two and a half intense rehearsals.
During this time, Asake and his band will help shape the final sound. At the first rehearsal, Alexander and the orchestra will be discovering the music together. The second rehearsal will be them polishing, and by the dress rehearsal, he expects they’ll be ready, with room for improvisation.
“The good thing about doing live music is that anything can happen,” he explains. “I'm looking forward to being with the audience, because they're also going to determine how we're vibing.”
Knowing how historic Asake’s Red Bull Symphonic will be, Alexander wants to bring a high-quality performance. He said the secret to nailing this outcome was doing his homework and being a great collaborator.
He first heard of Asake through collaborations with Gunna. Alexander says his younger sister, who is a huge fan of the Atlanta rapper, put him on to the music. The two artists have bridged Afrobeats and hip-hop twice on the Sarz-produced amapiano-pop “Happiness” in 2023, and Gunna’s "satisfaction," a reflective trap vibe released this past August. When Parnther invited Alexander to be the conductor, he went deeper into Asake’s catalogue — a unique blend of Afrobeats, fuji, soul, Yoruba storytelling, and amapiano. The conductor was also inspired by his meeting with Asake a month ago, during which he connected with his energy and dedication.
“You can tell that the music lives inside of him,” Alexander said of Asake.
One of Alexander’s biggest challenges for Red Bull Symphonic is assuring the percussion was perfect. “With African music, the driving force is that heartbeat — it's the African drumming and our history with percussion is so deep,” he says. “We have incredible percussionists coming in. I have the utmost faith that we will capture that.”
Overall, Alexander assures fans that this performance is designed to let Asake’s Nigerian roots shine, with his band, vocalists, and dancers integrated into the orchestral arrangement. “The last thing you want is a cheap version of something, right? That would be disrespectful to the integrity of the music,” he says. Alexander also emphasized that having Asake present before the show will allow them to make necessary adjustments to the music. “What the artist wants, we'll make it happen,” he emphasized.
Red Bull Symphonic brings Lagos to Brooklyn with Afrobeats sensation Asake
© Brandon Almengo
One Asake song Alexander is excited to bring to the stage is “BADMAN GANGSTA,” which is Asake’s latest single for his forthcoming album MONEY. “The vibe of it is just so good,” he says.
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The Countdown to the Red Bull Symphonic Begins
Even with weeks of preparation, being in the conductor’s position can bring much pressure, so Alexander has a unique ritual before he steps onto the podium: watching a John Wick film to get in the right mindset, listening to a curated playlist, and taking a moment to meditate. “After that, I'm hype and I'm ready to go,” he says.
By the end of this performance of great cultural significance, Glenn wants to leave the audience refreshed and to let younger musicians know conducting is a possibility for them, as his hometown hero, Chelsea Tipton, once did for him. His presence as a Black conductor adds another layer of representation and inspiration, as Black musicians made up 2.4 percent of the U.S. orchestra population in 2023, according to a League of American Orchestras report.
“One of my favorite things is to show kids who look like me that you can exist in these spaces,” he adds.