A Classical Kaleidoscope with Chineke! Wind Ensemble

Western classical music owes so much to folk traditions from around the globe, so we're shining a spotlight on the places that don't always get their due. Vibrant sounds from the Americas, the Caribbean, India, and Eastern Europe, all woven together for one unforgettable evening.

The programme features folk-inspired works by William Grant Still, György Ligeti, Lina Mathon-Blanchet, Valerie Coleman, Reena Esmail, Carlos Simon, Victor Agudelo and Paquito d’Rivera, drawing on American spirituals, Indian raag, South American folk songs and traditional dance music. There will also be the London premiere of The Return, a bold new wind quintet by Chineke! Composer-in-Residence Nneka Cummins. To make the programme personal, each member of the quintet brings a folk song connected to their own heritage. Expect a musical jukebox that celebrates the versatility of the wind quintet and the traditions that continue to shape classical music.

• Lorraine Hart: a former solo cor anglais of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, Chineke!, Britten Sinfonia and the London Contemporary Orchestra. A Royal Philharmonic Society Enterprise Award winner, she is passionate about extending the reach of classical music through new repertoire, improvisation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Mebrakh Haughton-Johnson: a British clarinettist known for his stylistic versatility, charismatic stage presence and expressive playing, with performances at Wigmore Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Verbier Festival and the Edinburgh and Adelaide Festivals with Chineke!. A graduate of the Royal College of Music and The Juilliard School, he is committed to championing living composers and widening access to classical music.
• Matthew Higham: a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall and St Martin-in-the-Fields, who has won first prizes at several international competitions. He is currently Section Principal Flute of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, as well as a member of the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, and has performed with leading orchestras across Europe.
• Andres Yauri: a Venezuelan bassoonist who received his early musical training through the El Sistema programme before continuing his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Italy. He performs with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra and Chineke! Orchestra, both as an orchestral musician and soloist.
• Francisco Gomez: Spanish horn player who studied at the Aragón Conservatory before completing an MA at the Royal Academy of Music. He has performed with and as guest principal horn for orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Aurora Orchestra and Chineke! Orchestra.

“Chineke! is a force to be reckoned with.”
— The Times

“Trailblazing.”
— The Guardian

“A ground-breaking group in chamber music with a difference.”
— The Arts Desk