Chi-chi Nwanoku

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Chi-Chi Nwanoku

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}}

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name = Chinyere Adah Nwanoku

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1956|6}}

| birth_place = Fulham, London, England

| genre =

| years_active =

| website = {{url|https://www.chineke.org/our-founder}}

}}

Chinyere Adah "Chi-Chi" Nwanoku {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|ɪ|tʃ|i|_|ˈ|n|w|æ|n|oʊ|k|uː}}; born June 1956) is a British double bassist and professor of Historical Double Bass Studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Nwanoku was a founder member and principal bassist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, a position she held for 30 years.

Of Nigerian and Irish descent, she was the founder and Artistic Director of the Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra & junior orchestra in Europe to be made up of a majority of Black and ethnically diverse musicians.[http://www.classicalite.com/articles/25731/20150723/chi-nwanokus-chineke-orchestra-debuts-sept-13-southbank-center.htm "Chi-chi Nwanoku's Chineke! Orchestra Debuts Sept. 13 at Southbank Center"], Classicalite, 23 July 2015.[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/02/chi-chi-nwanoku-classical-music-living-colour-black-orchestra-chineke-foundation "Chi-chi Nwanoku: 'I want black musicians to walk on to the stage and know they belong'"], The Guardian, 2 June 2015.Jessica Duchen, [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/chineke-europes-first-professional-orchestra-of-black-and-minority-ethnic-musicians-launches-10480027.html "Chineke! Europe's first professional orchestra of black and minority ethnic musicians launches"], The Independent, 1 September 2015.

Early life

Nwanoku is of Nigerian and Irish descent and is the oldest of the five children of her parents,[http://www.chineke.org/our-founder "Our founder| Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE"], Chineke! Foundation. Dr Michael Nwanoku and his wife Margaret (née Hevey).Ed Keazor, [http://www.musicinafrica.net/chi-chi-nwanoku-classical-legacy-and-african-heritage "Chi-chi Nwanoku: A Classical legacy and an African heritage"], Music in Africa Magazine, 25 November 2014. Her younger siblings are her brother Gus Nwanokwu, sister Ijeoma Nwanokwu, brother Obinna Nwanokwu and sister Kelechi Nwanokwu.{{cite book |title=Black Shamrocks |last=Nwanokwu |first=Gus |date=24 March 2016 |publisher=Create Space}} Nwanoku's mother, Margaret, was disowned by her parents due to having an interracial relationship, however Margaret's mother secretly travelled to London three months after the birth of Nwanoku.{{cite web |title=Chi-Chi tells Tubridy about her Mum's heartbreaking story |url=https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2018/0312/946828-chi-chi-tells-tubridy-about-her-mums-heartbreaking-story/ |website=RTE |accessdate=23 April 2020 |language=en |date=13 March 2018}} Nwanoku was born in Fulham, London, and before reaching school age she lived in Imo State, Nigeria, where her family went for two years. Nwanoku attended Kendrick Girls' Grammar 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. Nwanoku subsequently studied at the Royal Academy of Music while undertaking training as a 100-metre sprinter but had to end her athletic career following a knee injury.

Career

Nwanoku is the founder of the Chineke! Orchestra, Europe's first classical orchestra made up of a majority of black and ethnically diverse musicians, with whom she regularly performs.{{cite web |last1=Hewett |first1=Ivan |title=Inside Chineke!, Europe's first black and minority ethnic orchestra |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/classical-music/chi-chi-nwanoku-young-classical-musicians-colour-have-no-role/ |website=The Telegraph |accessdate=23 April 2020 |date=16 August 2017}} The orchestra, made up of 62 musicians representing 31 different nationalities, first performed in 2015 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall{{cite web |last1=Mitic |first1=Ginanne Brownell |title=She Was the Orchestra's Only Black Musician, Until She Formed Her Own |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/arts/she-was-the-orchestras-only-black-musician-until-she-formed-her-own.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=23 April 2020 |date=24 April 2017}} and in addition to her work with the Chineke! Orchestra, Nwanoku 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.

Her academic appointments include Professor of Double Bass at the Royal Academy of Music and Visiting Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge.{{Cite web|url=https://www.middletemple.org.uk/bencher-persons-view?cid=172851|title=Masters of the Bench|website=Middle Temple|access-date=25 January 2024}}

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. In 2015 Nwanoku presented the BBC Radio 4 programmes In Search of the Black Mozart, featuring the lives and careers of black classical composers and performers from the 18th century, including Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges; Ignatius Sancho; and George Bridgetower.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05wdsnl In Search of the Black Mozart], BBC Radio 4. She has also presented an episode of the Sky Arts TV series Passions, on the life and work of British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.[https://vimeo.com/243201707 Passions: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor], Sky Arts. Other positions held by Nwanoku include being a former board member of the National Youth Orchestra, Tertis Foundation, London Music Fund, Royal Philharmonic Society (Council), and the Association of British Orchestras board. She is also a former Patron of Music Preserved, and is a current Patron of the Cherubim Trust.{{Cite web |url=http://cherubimtrust.org/about-cherubim-trust/ |title="About Cherubim Music Trust". |access-date=2016-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914163237/http://cherubimtrust.org/about-cherubim-trust/ |archive-date=2016-09-14 |url-status=dead }}

Nwanoku was a guest of BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs on 11 February 2018.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09r3qty "Chi-chi Nwanoku"], Desert Island Discs, 11 February 2018. A podcast is also available for downloading within the United Kingdom, but not necessarily elsewhere, as in some cases the BBC blocks its podcasts from being downloaded outside the United Kingdom.

In 2019, Nwanoku opened the new site of Hackney New Primary School, a specialist music school for children.{{cite web |last1=Bartholomew |first1=Emma |title=Chinyere 'Chi-chi' Nwanoku officially opens Hackney New Primary School on the former Kingsland Road fire station site |url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/education/chinyere-nwanoku-opens-hackney-new-primary-school-1-6407979 |website=Hackney Gazette |accessdate=17 April 2020 |language=en}}

She presented a six-part radio show on Classic FM in October 2020 called [https://www.classicfm.com/radio/shows-presenters/chi-chis-classical-champions/ Chi-chi's Classical Champions], a programme highlighting the music of contemporary and historical composers of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse heritage. A second series was broadcast in 2021.

In September 2023 Nwanoku was the guest on the BBC Radio 4 programme Great Lives; her choice was Jessye Norman.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qmcy|title=Great Lives |work=BBC Radio 4 |date=19 September 2023 |access-date=19 September 2023}}
A podcast is also available for downloading within the United Kingdom, but not necessarily elsewhere as in some cases the BBC blocks particular podcasts from being downloaded outside the United Kingdom.

She featured in Stormzy's book Superheroes: Inspiring Stories of Secret Strength.Stormzy (16 September 2021)

Nwanoku is based in London{{cite news |last1=Spero |first1=Josh |title=How London became a musical magnet |url=https://www.ft.com/content/db8fc85a-4ee2-4882-a639-2abd62953f7c |access-date=27 October 2022 |work=Financial Times |date=22 December 2020}} and has two children (Jacob and Phoebe) and four grandchildren (Maya, Ralph, Sergi and Tallulah). {{cite news |last1=Bancroft |first1=Holly |title=Harvey Parker: Family and friends issue appeal after music student goes missing |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/harvey-parker-london-missing-student-b1980096.html |access-date=27 October 2022 |work=The Independent |date=23 December 2021 |language=en}}

Honours, awards and recognition

Nwanoku was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to music,

{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2001/birthday_honours_2001/1390899.stm

|publisher=BBC

|date=15 June 2001

|title=The Queen's Birthday Honours

|accessdate=26 May 2015

}} Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to music{{London Gazette|issue=61962|supp=y|page=B13|date=17 June 2017}} and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to music and diversity.{{London Gazette|issue=63714|supp=y|page=B10|date=1 June 2022}}

{{cite news

|last1=Davies

|first1=Mark

|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/01/rio-ferdinand-given-obe-and-damian-lewis-cbe-in-queens-birthday-honours-list

|work=The Guardian

|date=1 June 2022

|title=Rio Ferdinand given OBE and Damian Lewis CBE in Queen's birthday honours list

|accessdate=3 June 2016

}}

Additionally, she has been made an Honorary Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chineke.org/our-founder|title=Chineke! Foundation|website=Chineke! Foundation|access-date=18 November 2016}} In 2023 she was made an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, and was made an Honorary Doctor of Music at both Cambridge University{{Cite web|url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/cambridge-confers-2023-honorary-degrees|title=Cambridge confers 2023 honorary degrees|website=Cambridge University|date=21 June 2023 |access-date=25 January 2024}} and the University of Kent.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kent.ac.uk/news/kentlife/33681/graduation-ceremonies-and-honorary-degrees-july-2023|title=Graduation Ceremonies and honorary degrees July 2023|website=University of Kent|date=25 July 2023 |access-date=25 January 2024}}

In 2018 the BBC Woman's Hour placed Nwanoku ninth in a list of the world's most powerful women in music {{cite web |last1=Savage |first1=Mark |title=Beyoncé is music's most powerful woman |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-45639433 |website=BBC News |accessdate=23 April 2020 |date=28 September 2018}} and she has also been listed in the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Powerlist of the most influential Black Britons of the year.{{cite web |last1=Akinyoade |first1=Akinwale |title=Mo Abudu, Anthony Joshua Make UK 100 Black Powerlist |url=https://guardian.ng/life/mo-abudu-anthony-joshua-make-uk-100-black-powerlist/ |website=guardian.ng |date=24 October 2018 |accessdate=23 April 2020}}{{cite web |title=Powerlist 2020 reveals Britain's most influential black people |url=https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/uk-news/2019/10/29/powerlist-2020-reveals-britains-most-influential-black-people/ |website=Voice Online |accessdate=23 April 2020 |language=en |date=29 October 2019}}{{Cite web|last=Lavender|first=Jane|date=2020-11-17|title=Lewis Hamilton ends incredible year top of influential Black Powerlist 2021|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/black-power-list-2021-lewis-23017308|access-date=2020-12-10|website=mirror|language=en}}{{cite web |last1=O'Boyle |first1=Claire |title=Black Powerlist 2022 led by Michaela Cole and Man Utd's Marcus Rashford - see full list |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/black-powerlist-2022-lead-microsofts-25218098/ |website=mirror.co.uk |date=15 October 2021 |accessdate=3 June 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Veljanowski |first1=Lydia |title=The Powerlist 2023: John Lewis boss is top Black role model in UK - see Top 100 |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/powerlist-2023-john-lewis-boss-28347998 |website=mirror.co.uk |date=28 October 2022 |accessdate=29 October 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Honobeek |first1=Talya |title=Black Power List 2024 highlights as Vogue editor and first ever make-up artist to be named a Dame |url=https://www.curiously.co.uk/news/black-powerlist-2024-highlights-vogue-162725 |website=curiously.co.uk |date=2 November 2023 |accessdate=25 January 2024}}

References

{{Reflist

| colwidth = 30em

| refs =

{{cite web

| url = http://www.ram.ac.uk/about-us/staff/Chi-chi-nwanoku

| title = Chi-chi Nwanoku

| publisher = Royal Academy of Music

| accessdate = 17 August 2014

}}

External links

[http://chineke.org/ Chineke! Foundation] official website
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBumQIPQb1Q "Musician Chi-chi Nwanoku discussing her life and work on Talking Africa"]. YouTube video 12 May 2015.
[https://www.theguardian.com/profile/chichinwanoku Chi-chi Nwanoku profile page] at The Guardian

Category:Classical double-bassists

Category:Living people

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:1956 births

Category:Black British classical musicians

Category:20th-century Black British musicians

Category:20th-century British classical musicians

Category:English people of Nigerian descent

Category:English people of Irish descent

Category:English double-bassists

Category:English classical double-bassists

Category:21st-century British double-bassists