'Hip-hop violinist' Phantom video is online hit

Adding to her list of extravagant and popular YouTube videos, the Californian violinist's new video has become an instant viral hit.

Self-proclaimed 'Hip-hop violinist' Lindsey Stirling is used to giving popular tunes a brand new spin. For her latest, a medley from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom Of The Opera', she turns the musical standard into a classic rock epic, and it's already had over 800,000 views in under a week.

In the video, Stirling stalks through an old theatre playing various tunes from the musical, accompanied by a full rock band. Previous videos, though, have seen her incorporate elements of dubstep, hip-hop and performance art. She has also recorded music from the Lord Of The Rings movies and the Skyrim video game.

Stirling began playing the violin when she was five years old, and relied upon her teachers' generosity to afford lessons. In 2010 Stirling got to the quarter-finals of America's Got Talent, but it is only since she began recording YouTube videos that her popularity has taken off.

She has an estimated 110 million views in total of videos on her YouTube channel. Last week, her arrangement of music from the Zelda video games was used in a Mexican gymnast's Olympic routine.