Poster Chi-chi Nwanoku, double bassist
Chi-chi Nwanoku is a double bassist and founder and artistic director of Chineke! Orchestra.
chi-chinwanoku.com
Rhapsody in Black

Bassist Chi-Chi Nwanoku is a champion for musicians of color

Rhapsody in Black - Chi-Chi Nwanoku
DOWNLOAD

Bassist Chi-Chi Nwanoku is more than a world-class performer. She also promotes music by composers of color in Europe through her Chineke! Foundation. She has supported an adult and youth orchestra to give professional experience to musicians of color who might otherwise struggle to find a voice in the world of classical music. 

Musical selections from Chi-Chi Nwanoku

Tom Johnson: Failing: A Very Difficult Piece for Solo String Bass

During an episode of Strings, Bows and Bellows on BBC 2, Nwanoku talks and performs an experimental work by composer Tom Johnson. From early on in her career she has had a mission to bring to the forefront music that is either underappreciated or underrepresented.

Franz Schubert: Trout Quintet - I. Allegro Vivace

The Chineke! Chamber Players performed Franz Schubert's Piano Quintet in A major (Trout) at the St. James's Church in Piccadilly, London. This iteration of the group includes Nwanoku (double bass), Rakhi Singh (violin), Clifton Harrison (viola), Eve-Marie Caravassilis (cello) and Jean-Bernard Marie (piano).

Credits

Host: Tesfa Wondemagegnehu

Producer: Dan Nass

Writers: Andrea Blain and Scott Blankenship

Executive Producer: Julie Amacher

Love the music?

Donate by phone
1-800-562-8440

Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.

Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.

YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.

More Ways to Give

Your Donation

$5/month
$10/month
$15/month
$20/month
$

Latest Rhapsody in Black Episodes

VIEW ALL EPISODES

Latest Rhapsody in Black Episodes

Hazel Scott 'jazzed up the classics' and stood up against segregation

Hazel Scott 'jazzed up the classics' and stood up against segregation

Pianist Hazel Scott was billed as ‘The Darling of Café Society’ due to her ability to sell out shows with her masterful improvisations. But her music was heavily intertwined with politics as she spoke up continually against segregation. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.

5:00
Meet Vernon Neal, the host of 'Rhapsody in Black'
Margaret Bonds and the words of Langston Hughes

Margaret Bonds and the words of Langston Hughes

Margaret Bonds dealt with racism as she broke barriers for future generations of Black women composers. Find out how the words and friendship of renowned Black novelist Langston Hughes helped her with that struggle in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

5:00
Clarinetist Anthony McGill promotes connection, equality and justice

Clarinetist Anthony McGill promotes connection, equality and justice

Anthony McGill is the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, the first Black musician to hold a principal chair in the orchestra’s 178-year history. He also has used the platform to promote racial equity in classical music. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

5:00
Carlos Simon's 'Good News Mass'

Carlos Simon's 'Good News Mass'

Carlos Simon is a Grammy-nominated composer and an activist for Black and brown representation in classical music. His latest work, ‘Good News Mass,’ is unlike anything he’s done before. Find out more in the latest episode of the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

5:00
Violinist Randall Goosby enjoys meteoric rise but remains grounded
5:00
Flutist, composer and producer Allison Loggins-Hull 'defies classification'
5:00
RZA’s 'Ballet Through the Mud'

RZA’s 'Ballet Through the Mud'

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known in the hip-hop world as RZA, is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Wu Tang Clan. Nowadays, he’s taking things a step further by writing a ballet. Find out more on the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

5:00
The voice of Whitney Houston

The voice of Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston’s musical legacy was recently celebrated in a concert tribute at the Kennedy Center. Her powerful voice soared through heart-rending pop ballads, and she could hold her own in an operatic aria, too. Find out more on the ‘Rhapsody in Black’ podcast.

5:00
Bassist Joseph Conyers aims to help young musicians ignite change in their communities
5:00
VIEW ALL EPISODES

About Rhapsody in Black

Where we turn up the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music, with host Vernon Neal.

Subscribe to the podcast:  Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicTuneInRSS Feed

About Rhapsody in Black