Watch: DEEP PURPLE Joined By Violinist LIDIA BAICH On Stage In Vienna

Austrian violinist Lidia Baich joined legendary rockers DEEP PURPLE on stage during their October 5 concert at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria to perform the band's classic song "Perfect Strangers". Fan-filmed video of her appearance can be seen below.

Widely regarded as one of the most versatile violin soloists of our time, Baich was born in St. Petersburg and received her first violin lessons from her grandfather at the age of four. She later studied under Professor Boris Kuschnir in Vienna. At just eight years old, she won her first international competition, which was followed by numerous other first prizes. Her extraordinary musical achievements culminated at age sixteen with her victory at the Eurovision Grand Prix and the "European Musician of the Year" award — presented to her by Lord Yehudi Menuhin.

After Baich previously performed with DEEP PURPLE almost a decade ago, PURPLE keyboardist Don Airey told Steinway & Sons' magazine Listen: Life With Music & Culture: "A classical violinist, Lidia Baich, joined us in Vienna; I wrote some parts for her. It was sensational that a top classical performer could play with us, and she brought the house down — playing heavy rock."

DEEP PURPLE's latest album, "Splat!", was released on July 3 via earMUSIC. Produced once again by Bob Ezrin (KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper),the effort has been described in a press release as "the heaviest DEEP PURPLE album in many years".

"Splat!" has received enthusiastic first fan and media reactions, with early press praising the album's DEEP PURPLE spirit. Uncut called "Splat!" "distilled, high-octane PURPLE at its finest". Classic Rock praised the album for delivering "everything that makes DEEP PURPLE one of the greatest acts in hard rock."

At the heart of "Splat!" is an idea conceived by Gillan. Rather than treating the end as destruction, the album imagines it as transformation: "Splat!" explores the end of humanity not in any crude apocalyptic sense but as a metamorphosis beyond physical existence.

In July 2022, guitarist Steve Morse officially left DEEP PURPLE to care for his wife, Janine, who was battling cancer. He was replaced by Simon McBride. Morse's announcement came four months after the guitarist said that he would be taking a hiatus from the band, in the hope of rejoining his bandmates once his wife's health improved.

With more than 120 million albums sold since forming in 1968, DEEP PURPLE have long secured their place in rock history. Rather than simply preserving their legacy, they continue to extend it, driven by the same spirit that defined their earliest work.

There simply aren't enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution DEEP PURPLE has made to rock music. Having sold more than 120 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there's little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the "Fifth Most Influential Band Ever". The band were also presented the "Legend Award" at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2016. DEEP PURPLE truly are "rock royalty".

With a body of work spanning seven decades, DEEP PURPLE have helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas, both keeping their sound fresh and attracting new fans to the legions who have remained loyal since the band's inception. The celebrated MKII line-up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore was responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early '70s, including "Made In Japan", universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.

Known as one of the hardest-working bands ever, DEEP PURPLE have continued to release No. 1 albums and tour globally since forming in 1968, with little rest.

DEEP PURPLE have stayed true to their musical roots, drawing from an eclectic mix of styles to create a distinctive sound that defines the band today and, in turn, has created a legacy that very few bands could ever hope to replicate. The band has written and produced so many "classic", well-known songs that its audience ranges widely in age and background — something the band has readily embraced.

DEEP PURPLE's recent studio album "=1" (2024) followed their worldwide chart-topping albums "Whoosh!" (2020),"inFinite" (2017) and "NOW What?!" (2013). On these albums, DEEP PURPLE joined forces with producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of KISS, PINK FLOYD, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper.

Furthering their collaboration with Ezrin, in 2021 and during the pandemic the band recorded a collection of cover songs from their own homes (normal for most bands nowadays, revolutionary for a band that records everything together in the studio),creating an eclectic and celebratory history of their roots in music, in the shape of "Turning To Crime".