Chineke! Orchestra

Chineke! was created by Chi-Chi Nwanoku in 2015 to provide career opportunities to established and up-and-coming Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Chineke! aims to champion change and celebrate diversity in classical music, and fulfils this mission through concerts by the majority Black and ethnically diverse professional Chineke! Orchestra, the Chineke! Junior Orchestra for 11-to 22-year-old diverse musicians and through its Learning & Participation programme. Additionally, Chineke! Voices was launched in 2022 as the first majority Black and ethnically diverse consort of a cappella voices. Regularly undertaking tours across Europe and North America, Chineke! is a Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre, performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Festival Hall throughout the year - are orchestra in partnership at Fairfield Halls, Croydon and in 2022 began a close association with Woolwich Works, Greenwich where they recently launched a chamber series. The orchestra includes works by Black and ethnically diverse composers in every concert programme, championing composers from the past who have been overlooked and neglected, and performing, commissioning and recording the music of living Black composers.