Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse professional orchestra champions change and celebrates diversity in classical music

• Chi-chi Nwanoku, Chineke! Orchestra

In the classical music industry, we have a real problem with diversity. Year after year we see the same people becoming professional musicians, from the same backgrounds and cultures. In the UK I think I can safely say, we live in one of the most vibrantly rich and diverse countries in the world. What we don’t see is that wonderful diversity of the UK and Europe reflected on the stage and in our audiences of our concert halls and opera houses. This is what I’ve been trying to change with the Chineke! Foundation: to show people, of all colours, ethnicities and creeds, that classical music belongs to them as much as anyone else.