Drone Refractions | Paraorchestra

25 ensemble musicians with Charles Hazlewood

Charles Hazlewood is the Artistic Director of Paraorchestra, the world's first large-scale professional ensemble of virtuoso disabled and non-disabled musicians.

He won first prize in the European Broadcasting Union Conducting Competition while still in his twenties, and has conducted many of the world’s great orchestras including Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Swedish and Danish Radio Symphony Orchestras, Philharmonia and The Orchestra of St Luke’s, New York.

Since founding Paraorchestra over a decade ago Charles has blazed a trail for the classical sector, leading Paraorchestra through performances around the globe, releasing two studio albums and creating ambitious, genre-busting live works that upend orchestral orthodoxies. In 2024 he conducted and co-directed The Virtuous Circle for Paraorchestra’s BBC Proms debut.

Charles has authored, presented, and conducted the music in multiple landmark films for BBC TV and Sky Arts and has won three Sony Radio Academy Awards for his shows on BBC Radio 2 and 3. He has conducted over 200 world premieres and founded Dimpho Di Kopane – an award-winning opera company out of township South Africa, which toured the world and whose film U Carmen e-Khayelitsha won the Berlin Film Festival 'Golden Bear' for Best Film.

Charles has three TED talks to his name, was a recent Castaway on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs and in 2021 became Sky Arts Ambassador for Music. In 2023, he was further honoured by leading charity Making Music, with the Sir Charles Groves prize for his ‘outstanding contribution to the musical life of the United Kingdom,' and in July 2025 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Social Inclusion from Bath Spa University.

Paraorchestra bring extraordinary live orchestral music experiences that connect with people in venues and public spaces around the world.

Under the artistic direction of award-winning conductor Charles Hazlewood, the pioneering ensemble aims to disrupt and reinvent the orchestra. Bringing together professional disabled and non-disabled musicians, Paraorchestra create powerful music experiences that span genres and artforms. As a result, they are radically changing outdated ideas about both orchestral music, and of disability.

Paraorchestra’s diverse programme of live work puts audiences at the centre of the action, including thrilling immersive shows and playful performances in public spaces. They present contemporary and classical orchestral masterpieces by composers such as Steve Reich, Mozart, and Górecki as well as creating new commissions by established and emerging artists.

Performances over the past year have included "Symbiosis" in collaboration with award-winning folk duo The Breath for BBC Proms 2025; "The Virtuous Circle"; and "Dance Like Nobody’s Watching". Plus, multi-location two-day collaboration with Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller on "The Bradford Progress" for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

Partnerships bring Paraorchestra’s live shows to world-class venues such as Southbank Centre, the Barbican, and Bristol Beacon, as well as music festivals, communities, and unlikely spaces across the world. Collaborations with recording artists – Hannah Peel, "The Unfolding", released on Real World Records, and "Death Songbook" with Suede’s Brett Anderson released on BMG’s World Circuit label – take the ensemble's work directly into the homes of millions across the globe.

Paraorchestra are the only orchestra in the world pro-actively increasing representation and professional development of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent players. Embedded alongside their ambition to provide meaningful opportunities for world-class music making, Paraorchestra's artist development programme – Modulate – provides opportunities for disabled musicians to develop skills and advance their careers. In doing so, Paraorchestra are removing the barriers that prevent disabled players from performing at the highest level.

Paraorchestra are based in Bristol UK and are Associate Artists of Bristol Beacon. They were named Best Ensemble at the 2025 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.

As a Registered Charity (number 1163725), Paraorchestra gratefully acknowledges funding from Arts Council England; The Mark Leonard Trust; Esmée Fairbairn Foundation; The Linbury Trust; Garfield Weston Foundation; John Ellerman Foundation, and Bristol City Council.