Sir Charles Groves Prize awarded to founder of Paraorchestra, Charles Hazlewood

The award-winning British Conductor Charles Hazlewood has been presented with the Sir Charles Groves Prize by Making music’s Chief Executive, Barbara Eifler for Charles’ outstanding contribution to the musical life of the United Kingdom. 

Acclaimed conductor Charles Hazlewood has worked with many of the world's greatest orchestras, including Royal Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, The Philharmonia, Swedish Radio Symphony and Danish Radio Symphony. His career has seen him play Carnegie Hall, the BBC Proms and multiple festivals throughout the world. Charles has collaborated with artists as diverse as Nigel Kennedy, Goldie, Squarepusher and Wyclef Jean, has conducted over 200 world premieres and won the Berlin Film Festival 'Golden Bear' for Best Film with his South African township opera company's U-Carmen eKhayelitsha. 

Charles has authored, presented and conducted the music in multiple landmark films for BBC TV and Sky Arts, won three Sony Radio Academy Awards for his shows on BBC Radio 2 and 3, composed the scores for the South African Mysteries, Dead Dog In A Suitcase (And Other Love Songs) - a new Beggar’s Opera, and a new opera, The Tin Drum. He has three TED talks to his name, and was a recent Castaway on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.

Charles founded and is Artistic Director of Paraorchestra: the world's first large-scale professional ensemble of virtuoso disabled and non-disabled musicians. Bristol-based Paraorchestra create large-scale and dynamic music experiences, blending artforms and technology to create innovative new ways of experiencing orchestral music. Their ensembles feature professional disabled and non-disabled musicians, playing a mix of acoustic, analogue, digital, and assistive instruments. Paraorchestra are not only radically changing who connects with orchestral music, but shifting the perception of disability by removing the outdated barriers that too often prevent a showcase of excellence in disabled players. 

On Tuesday 20 June, Chief Executive of Making Music, Barbara Eifler presented the award to Charles Hazlewood at the Paraorchestra's SMOOSH! preview event at the Factory Project in East London. Selected by Making Music’s Board of trustees, the biennial Sir Charles Groves Prize recognises the outstanding contribution of individuals or organisations to the musical life of the UK. Charles Hazlewood’s work with the Paraorchestra chimes with Making Music’s vision that everyone should have the opportunity to be part of a music group. His outstanding artistic work with musicians of different physical abilities is an inspiration and showcase for others who may currently feel that making music is not for them, so the Making Music Board wanted to shine a light on this conductor as a model of an inclusive leader. 

Charles Hazlewood, said:  

‘I am beyond honoured (and feel thoroughly unworthy) to accept the Sir Charles Groves award. I have had an utterly joyous life making music with a smorgasbord of brilliant people for over 30 years; it is its own reward, but to be recognised by Making Music is very special indeed’

Barbara Eifler, CEO of Making Music commented:

 ‘We are delighted to be able to recognise an immensely talented artist who has done so much to broaden the perception of who can be a musician; barriers to creativity are not inside people, but in the world in which they find themselves. Here is someone who does not accept these barriers and shows us all how – and why – we should help remove them.’

Access photos of the evening on flickr, and for more information contact press@makingmusic.org.uk

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Notes to editors

Since 1935, Making Music has championed leisure-time music groups across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. We now represent 3,900 groups of around 228,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities. We help them run their group so they can get on with making music! 
 
The Sir Charles Groves Prize is selected by Making Music’s board of management and the biennial prize recognises the outstanding contribution of individuals or organisations to the musical life of the UK. Established in 1990 to mark Sir Charles Groves’ 75th birthday, the award honours the renowned conductor’s remarkable contribution to both leisure-time music – as a former president of Making Music – and to British musicianship and composition.

Paraorchestra create large scale dynamic music experiences, blending artforms and technology to create innovative new ways of experiencing orchestral music.

Created in collaboration with their ensembles of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians, and artists across artforms and genres, Paraorchestra’s work appeals to the widest audience, and is radically shifting outdated perceptions of orchestral music and of disability.

Under the Artistic Direction of award-winning conductor, Charles Hazlewood, Paraorchestra seeks to disrupt and reinvent the orchestral norm. Whether marching a 50—piece karaoke pop ensemble through suburban streets, headlining a main stage at Glastonbury Festival with Philip Glass’ Heroes symphony, or reworking pioneering electronic music in a nightclub; Paraorchestra is sharing relevant and dynamic orchestral music with audiences that otherwise may not have engaged with an orchestra. Their partnerships with broadcasters Sky Arts and Real World Records have taken their work directly into the homes of millions across the globe.
 
Of their full playing strength nearly 40 Paraorchestra musicians identify as disabled, D/deaf, or neurodivergent. They are the only orchestra in the world pro-actively increasing their representation of professional disabled players, removing the barriers that prevent disabled players from performing at their very best.
 
In Autumn 2023 Paraorchestra will launch an extensive Artist Development programme, created in recognition of a lack of professional support and development opportunities for musicians identifying as disabled. Huge expansion of their existing programme of work – including paid residencies and workshops – will provide meaningful opportunities for world-class music making and give those that identify as disabled an advantage for their career development.
 
As a Registered Charity (number 1163725) Paraorchestra gratefully acknowledges funding from Arts Council England, The Mark Leonard Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Linbury Trust, and Garfield Weston Foundation. For more information: www.paraorchestra.com