R2ViolinCello operate in classical crossover with intent and pressure, not nostalgia. The husband-and-wife duo — violinist Rhys Watkins and cellist Rowena Calvert — unveil Mission Impossible, a new EP that places string performance inside a modern cinematic framework.
The EP reframes four iconic film scores — Mission Impossible, Duel of the Fates, Imperial March, and Schindler’s List — into a high-impact violin-and-cello format, powered by cinematic electronic sound design and built for contemporary scale.
The project took shape during lockdown, when composer Simon Parkin was commissioned to compress epic Hollywood scores into technically demanding duets. Sound designer Albin Dominic later expanded the concept, restoring cinematic weight through electronics rather than orchestral mass. Two instruments, framed correctly, delivering blockbuster force.
R2ViolinCello emerged via pandemic livestreams for the London Symphony Orchestra before shifting into a higher gear after relocating to Bangkok, where producer Chris Craker — former Vice President of Sony Music — brought them into Karma Studios.
Watkins and Calvert bring heavyweight credentials, with credits from Harry Potter to Star Wars and collaborations spanning Sir Paul McCartney to Billie Eilish, plus over 100 major film soundtracks between them.
Mission Impossible functions as a statement, not a tribute. Classical performance, treated as a scalable and contemporary system, continues to hold real power in today’s music economy.