Paraorchestra

Paraorchestra is recruiting new musicians! We are looking for talented, adventurous musicians who identify as Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent to join our growing ensemble via our latest musician callout. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to develop their artistic practice via our artist development project ‘Modulate’ and help us to create unforgettable live orchestral experiences through next year and beyond. We’re asking our friends and peers across the sector to help us spread the word about this callout. If you have musicians in your network who may be interested in applying, or indeed want to do so yourself, all the information you need is on our website: https://lnkd.in/eh7U5Cxt Applications close on Monday 30th November 2026 at 10am.

Beautiful scenes from Sunday where we closed out Southbank Centre’s ‘Steve Reich at 90’ celebrations with two performances of the composer's masterpiece, Music for 18 Musicians - sublime musicianship and dancers bathed in shimmering light. We’ve been delighted with the strength of response to this show. From a five star review in The Guardian to the many DMs and comments we received from audience members describing how deeply they connected with the performance. Congratulations to our directors Charles Hazlewood and Faye Stoeser, lighting designer Joel Stanners, and all of the musicians, dancers and production crew who made it happen behind the scenes - and a big thank you to Southbank Centre for their continued support.  We also found a moment to celebrate our renewed partnership with , who have renewed their three year funding commitment to our organisation.  Moments like those in the Clore Ballroom on Sunday speak for themselves, but just as vital as these moments is our ongoing work towards systemic change. We are creating a truly equitable orchestral sector where disabled musicians can thrive, both as professional musicians but also as artists, creators, and leaders. The Linbury Trust recognises this, and we’re grateful for their support in delivering both world-class art and long-term social change. Images by Sian O'Connor ** Image descriptions: two marimba players facing one another in front of a sunburst of white light, a trio of dancers reach upwards through beams of purple fog, a pianist plays with a serene expression on their face, audience members dance with their hands held aloft, a violinist silhouetted from below, a screenshot of a five-star review in the guardian, a pianist focuses on her score, audience members sit and stand in a circle with two dancers at the centre gracefully twisting one another, a percussionist holds two mallets above a xylophone, Linbury Trust director Stuart Hobley and Paraorchestra chief executive Jonathan Harper give speeches

Kraftwerk Re:werk at Forwards Festival 🤖 After a bleak and stormy morning (check the final photo of our slightly damp stage!) the clouds parted just as we were due on - a surreal treat to play this piece under blue skies and a blazing sun. It was also a full-circle moment: Team Love commissioned this piece for Simple Things Festival 2017 with support from Arts Council England. To be performing it almost a decade on and still eliciting such a great response is a testament to the versatility of Kraftwerk, to Charles Hazlewood's vision and to Charlotte Harding and Lloyd Coleman as the composers behind this thrilling symphonic version of Trans-Europe Express. As always our special gratitude goes to our funders for their continued support: Arts Council England, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Mark Leonard Trust, The Linbury Trust and Bristol City Council. Photos by Jahiem Williams Image description: forty Paraorchestra musicians, all dressed in white perform on a large outdoor festival stage. They are conducted by Charles Hazlewood who wears a black suit adorned with a silver grid pattern. Behind the orchestra a large LED screen flashes with dazzling computer graphics. The final image shows a weather-blown stage with small pools of rainwater on the floor.

Still riding high from our performance of Steve Reich's 'Music for 18 Musicians' at Bristol Beacon for the opening night of the BBC Proms in Bristol. Transforming this iconic piece of music into a sonic choose-your-own-adventure-come-dance-party was some feat - huge congratulations to directors Charles Hazlewood and Faye Stoeser, all of our amazing performers, Joel Stanners for the lighting wizardry, and everyone at Paraorchestra, the Beacon, and the BBC for their relentless work behind the scenes. This performance was dedicated to our beloved friend, colleague and collaborator Asteryth Sloane. Our special thanks goes to our funders whose continued support makes incredible evenings like this possible: Arts Council England, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Mark Leonard Trust, The Linbury Trust and Bristol City Council. Photos by Irene Haro Terol

We’re recruiting a producer to join our team. Salary: £35,858 per annum Contract: 12 Month Fixed-Term, FTE Location: Bristol based, minimum of 2 days per week in the office We create orchestral music experiences that sit outside of conventional formats, span across disciplines, and are presented in unusual locations. We’re looking for a producer who genuinely enjoys the challenge of presenting original work in new and interesting ways. The position of Producer is a key role within our projects team. You will lead the production of our live projects including national and international touring, creating strong relationships with a wide range of colleagues and partner organisations. This role will suit an organised and experienced arts producer who is adept at holding multiple projects and working positively as part of a team. Follow the link here to find out more - https://bit.ly/4fLOFB1 Apply by 10am Tuesday 30 June 2026. Image descriptions: 1. Set to a neon green background, black text reads ‘We’re recruiting. Producer. £35,858 (Fixed-Term 12 Month Contract, FTE)’. 2. A person is dancing on the floor of Beacon Hall at Bristol Beacon, while Paraorchestra musicians and audience members surround them. 3. Around 30 Paraorchestra musicians perform with The Breath and conductor Charles Hazlewood on stage at the Barbican Centre in London. They are all dressed in white and the stage is warmly-lit. 4. Paraorchestra performing at the Cow and Calf in Bradford district. They are all dressed in white and a large audience surround the performers. 5. Set to a neon green background, black text reads ‘Apply now via the link in our bio’

“The Anatomy of the Orchestra is the opportunity to climb inside each section of the orchestra. Literally being on the inside looking out, as opposed to the outside looking in.” This June we share that special and evocative experience with US audiences for the very first time. When we premiered The Anatomy of the Orchestra - The Four Sections at Bristol Beacon back in 2018, it marked the first time we experimented with our Artistic Director, Charles Hazlewood’s vision of putting audiences at the heart of the performance. It was an immediate hit. Multitudes of people of all ages filled the foyer, many never having experienced classical music before, and certainly not in this way. Applause was never-ending, and people were unequivocally moved. Next month, we will share this unforgettable experience with audiences at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City as part of their Big Umbrella Festival. A 51-strong ensemble will be distributed throughout the Wu Tsai Theater in David Geffen Hall to perform this landmark work by Steve Reich, inviting US audiences into the heart of our orchestra for the very first time. This is - by some distance - the biggest production we have ever toured internationally. To be playing our first stateside show in one of the finest performance spaces in North America, and to be able to share our interpretation of Reich’s music on his home turf is a true privilege. Hear from our Artistic Director Charles Hazlewood about why this piece, in this venue, in this city is such a landmark moment for Paraorchestra. Video description: Charles Hazlewood, a man with light skin-tone and short hair wearing a khaki jacket speaks to camera in a brightly-lit room. The video is interspersed with images of Charles at University along with short videos of Paraorchestra performing The Four Sections and clips of the interior and exterior of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Centre.

As Steve Reich turns 90 this year, we’re celebrating the pioneering composer with performances in Bristol and London as part of two world-class programmes. Presented in our signature immersive style, Reich’s ‘Music for 18 Musicians’ will open BBC Proms at their weekend long residency at Bristol Beacon in August. With the orchestra dispersed across the floor of the venue, you are invited to move amongst our players as they perform. We want you to see, hear, and truly feel the all-consuming pulse of this landmark composition in a way - we believe - will be the first first of its kind. This will be our third year performing at the BBC Proms, and we are so grateful to our partners at the BBC for their ongoing trust in our creative vision. In Bristol we will be joined over the weekend by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and, making their Proms debut, the National Open Youth Orchestra. It’s a joy for us to share a bill with two orchestras that represent  the very best of the South West’s classical scene.   Come September, our interpretation of ‘Music for 18 Musicians’ features as part of Southbank Centre’s weekend-long series marking Reich’s birthday where we’ll perform the piece twice on Sunday 27 September in the Clore Ballroom. Photo by Soul Media from the the launch of the Bristol Proms in collaboration with Bristol International Balloon Fiesta at Bristol Beacon. Image description: Musicians from Paraorchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and National Open Youth Orchestra pose with their instruments inside the colourful fabric of a hot air balloon that has been inflated on the floor of Beacon Hall.

We’re looking for a Project Coordinator. Salary: £27,300 per annum (inflationary pay increase pending) Contract: Full-time, permanent Location: Bristol based, minimum of 2 days per week in the office Apply by 10am Wednesday 4 March. The position of Project Coordinator is a key role within our Producing team. The successful candidate will be responsible for coordinating the logistics of Paraorchestra’s artistic programme and supporting the efficient day-to-day running of the Projects Department. There will be opportunities to work across a wide variety of different shows including national and international touring. This role will suit an organised, logistics-minded person who is adept at holding multiple projects and working positively as part of a team. Visit our website via the link here to find out more - https://bit.ly/401wQVC Image descriptions: 1. Set to a neon green background, black text reads ‘We’re recruiting. Project Coordinator. £27,300 (FTE, permanent)’. 2. A person is playing the marimba while being lifted into the air by a dancer. A large audience are gathered around the performers and bright spotlights shine overhead. 3. Around 30 Paraorchestra musicians perform on stage at the Bristol Beacon. They are all dressed in white and the stage is warmly-lit. 4. Paraorchestra performing at the Cow and Calf in Bradford district. They are all dressed in white and a large audience surround the performers.

We’re heading to Budapest in April for Classical:NEXT where our Senior Producer for Artist Development Helen Edwards will chair a panel discussion on assistive music tech. We’ll be looking at the ways disabled musicians are hacking instruments to augment their creative practice, and how Paraorchestra is using assistive tech to explore new sonic possibilities in both our live work and artist development strand Modulate. Helen will be joined by an all-star cast of speakers, each bringing their own perspective on this fascinating and fast-paced space: Drake Music's Sally Currie, Assistant Music Director of Paraorchestra Siobhan Clough, and Paraorchestra artist and musician in residence alumni Liza Bec who will explain their award-winning creation, the Roborecorder. We’d be remiss to not acknowledge our collaborators at Sony, Watershed and Pervasive Media Studio here for co-hosting the Sony Assistive Musical Instrument Hackathon with Drake and Paraorchestra which sparked inquiry into many of the themes we’ll explore in the panel. Head to the Classical NEXT website to browse the full programme: https://bit.ly/4a3OEVS Image description: Siobhan Clough, a woman with dark brown hair wearing a black top is playing a violin with assistive adaptations.

Bristol is bidding to become the 2029 UK City of Culture. Bristol is our home. It’s been the place many unforgettable moments have taken place for us: Dancing and singing through the streets of Filwood; Reopening the Bristol Beacon and with a sensory explosion of light and sound; Immersing audiences in music and movement at Bristol Old Vic Soundtracking a sublime light installation in the ruins of Temple Church. Rooted in the city is all of the DNA we have needed to grow - a spirit of collaboration, ambition and risk-taking. Creating our commission last year for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture with Jeremy Deller and hundreds of musicians from across the district was a timely reminder of the magic that can happen when an artistic idea brings a whole city together, and the transformative effect it can have on a place That’s why we are supporting Bristol’s bid to become 2029 UK City of Culture: to supercharge Bristol’s arts and culture scene for everyone, for decades to come. Image descriptions: 1. A line drawing of a person playing the saxophone. Text reads "Bristol 2029. Charged by creativity". 2. Text reads "I am backing Bristol City of Culture 2029" accompanied by two line drawings, one of a person playing the saxophone and another of a person dancing.