Chi-chi Nwanoku

Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE, born in London, is a double bass player, principal and co-founder of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and a professor of historical double bass studies at the Royal Academy of Music. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Chineke! Foundation, the first professional orchestra & junior orchestra in Europe to be made up of Black & minority ethnic (BME) musicians.^[1][2]

Performing groups

She has worked as principal double bass of the ensemble Endymion, the London Mozart Players, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the English Baroque Soloists, the London Classical Players and the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique.^[3]

Background

Chinyere (Chi-chi) Adah Nwanoku is of Nigerian and Irish descent and is the oldest of the five children of her parents,^[4] Dr Michael Nwanoku and his wife Margaret (nee Ivey).^[5] Chi-chi was born in Fulham, London, and before reaching school age she spent some years in Imo State, Nigeria, where her family went for two years. She attended Kendrick School in Reading, Berkshire. At the age of seven she began her education as a classical musician, first piano, and at the age of 18 bass. She subsequently studied at the Royal Academy of Music.^[5] She was also undertaking training as a 100-metre sprinter but had to end her athletic career following a knee injury.^[4]

In 2001 she was awarded an MBE for services to Music in the Queen’s Birthday honours.^[6] Besides playing and teaching bass, she has been active as a broadcaster, as in BBC Radio 3 Requests and in BBC TV Proms and as a member of BBC’s Classical Star Jury. She is a Board member of the National Youth Orchestra, Tertis Foundation, Royal Philharmonic Society (Council), was previously on Association of British Orchestras board, is Patron of Mayor’s Music Fund, Music Preserved, the Cherubim Trust.

She lives in London and has two children.

References

External links

• Chineke! Foundation official website