“Europe’s first professional orchestra made up entirely of musicians of colour, is set to make their debut performance in September, in London,” reads an unsigned article on Sunday (8/16) at The Violin Channel. “The 60-piece Chineke! Orchestra, founded by British double bassist Chichi Nwanoku, has been established with the objective of making a conscious effort to redress the racial balance in classical music…. ‘There are many reasons why people like me, people of colour, are so very under-represented in the arts…. I know for a fact it’s not due to lack of talent,’ Ms Nwanoku has said. The ensemble will be led by Berlin-based African American Concertmaster, Tai Murray and conducted by British conductor Wayne Marshall…. In addition to a series of further concerts, Ms Nwanoku has also outlined her five-year vision … to also include the establishment of a junior orchestra and a performance academy. The ensemble’s name (pronounced CHI-neh-keh) comes from the Igbo tribe in Nigeria—meaning ‘spirit of creation.’ … The Chineke! Orchestra’s debut performance will be held at London’s Southbank Centre on Sunday 13th September—as part of the ‘Africa Utopia Festival.’ … The programme will include: Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, Brahms’s ‘Variations on a theme by Haydn,’ Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s ‘Ballade for Orchestra,’ and Philip Herbert’s ‘Elegy.’ ”
Posted August 21, 2015
