Page 33 - Powerlist 2020

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE with many of Europe’s leading chamber orchestras Arts, Fashion & Design

Founder, Chineke! Foundation and ensembles.
In 2015, she founded the Chineke! Foundation,
and remains its artistic and executive director. It
From the 100m sprint to a career as a world-class supports, inspires and encourages BAME classical
bassist, Chi-chi’s career trajectory has been stellar – musicians in the UK and Europe. Its two orchestras,
and certainly out of the ordinary. the Chineke! Orchestra and the Chineke! Junior
The eldest of five children born to Nigerian and Orchestra, champion change and celebrate diversity
Irish parents, her talent for music became apparent in the classical music industry.
at the age of seven when a neighbour taught her to In 2012, British film-maker Barrie Gavin directed
play the piano. At the age of eight she was spotted a documentary about Chi-chi’s career, Tales from the
by an athletics coach and trained as a 100m sprinter, Bass Line.
competing at national level and aiming to qualify for Chi-chi is a trustee of the National Youth Orchestra
the 1976 Olympics before being forced to quit at 18 of Great Britain and a council member of the Royal
because of a serious knee injury. Philharmonic Society. She was awarded an MBE
It was then that she took up the double bass, going for services to music in the 2001 Queen’s Birthday
on to study at the Royal Academy of Music and with Honours and an OBE in 2017.
acclaimed Italian bassist Franco Petracchi in Rome. Recently, she won the Variety Catherine Awards
She soon found herself in demand internationally. Creative Industry Award and was made an Honorary
Chi-chi has had a broad career, performing and Doctor of Music at the University of Chichester.
recording in a variety of styles from authentic She was the keynote speaker at the Bank of England
baroque through to 21st-century commissions, and Flagship Seminar in April 2019.

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