Kevin Olusola

Kevin Oluwole Olusola, known professionally as K.O., was born on October 5, 1988, in Pasadena, California. His musical journey began at a young age, starting piano at four, cello at six, and alto saxophone at ten. He was actively involved in various music programs throughout his early education in Owensboro, Kentucky, including jazz band, marching band, concert band, orchestra, and community youth orchestra. At age 12, Olusola served as the principal saxophonist of the United States Collegiate Wind Band, undertaking a three-week tour of Europe. He was also the principal cellist of the Kentucky State Youth Orchestra and performed at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the American Fine Arts Festival, with a second solo performance on alto saxophone for PBS’s “From the Top at Carnegie Hall.” Olusola attended Phillips Academy Andover for his junior and senior years, where he developed a strong work ethic. He later enrolled at Yale University, initially pursuing medicine before switching to East Asian Studies. During a leave of absence for intensive Chinese study in Beijing, he began developing his distinctive “celloboxing” technique, which involves playing the cello and beatboxing simultaneously.

His groundbreaking “celloboxing” version of Mark Summer’s “Julie-O” went viral in April 2011, capturing widespread attention online. This led to Scott Hoying contacting Olusola to join a new a cappella group, Pentatonix, for NBC’s “The Sing-Off.” The group quickly formed and went on to win Season 3 of “The Sing-Off” in November 2011, securing a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment and a cash prize. Pentatonix subsequently released multiple successful albums and EPs, including “PTX, Volume 1” in 2012 and “PTX, Vol. II” in 2013, with Olusola co-writing four songs on the latter. He signed with RCA Records with Pentatonix in 2014 and released his solo EP, “The Renegade EP,” in early 2015, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums Chart. Pentatonix garnered critical acclaim, winning their first Grammy in 2015 for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella for their Daft Punk medley, followed by a second Grammy in 2016 for “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and a third Grammy in 2017 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Jolene” featuring Dolly Parton.

Olusola’s career progression demonstrates a commitment to innovation and artistic expression. Beyond his work with Pentatonix, he has performed at prestigious classical music festivals, opened the TED Conference in Vancouver, and was personally selected by Quincy Jones to represent him at the 2012 Montreux Jazz Festival. His signature “celloboxing” style has made him a unique figure in the music industry, blending classical training with contemporary vocal percussive techniques. Olusola’s journey highlights his ability to transcend traditional musical boundaries and create a distinct identity, embracing his diverse background as “a part-African, part-Grenadian, cello-playing, Chinese-speaking Kentucky boy,” as he described himself during a visit to “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” This individual approach to music has contributed to his sustained success and influence.