Chi-chi is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Chineke! Foundation, which supports and inspires Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe.
In 1986 Chi-chi was a founder member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment where she held the position of Principal double bass for 30 years. She is Professor of Double Bass Historical Studies at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) and was made a Fellow of RAM in 1998.
Chi-chi presented BBC Radio 3 Requests; guest presented for BBC Proms. For Classic FM she presented 3 series of Chi-chi’s Classical Champions.
She has presented documentaries about historic Black composers for BBC Radio 4 and Sky Arts, and in 2021 created a documentary for BBC Radio 3, Reclaiming the Bridgetower Sonata.
Chi-chi served on the Board of the Association of British Orchestras from 2008–13 and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 2000-18, London Music Fund and Tertis Foundation. She created the ABO/RPS Salomon Prize, which celebrates the ‘unsung heroes’ of British orchestras. In 2021 she featured in Patrick Vernon’s book, 100 Great Black Britons, and in Superheroes published by Stormzy.
Chi-chi was awarded the CBE in 2022 for Services to Music. In 2016, she was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban Conservatoire for her work addressing inequalities within classical music.
Photo and biography courtesy of Chi-chi Nwanoku
