Charles Hazlewood

Television and Radio for the BBC

Since then Charles' musicianship and innovative style has lead to him to conduct some of the best orchestras in the world and a successful career conducting and 'explaining' music on the BBC television and radio. Charles has hosted several landmark television series on composers'.

He occupies a central position on BBC Radio 3, with Discovering Music, where he deconstructs great orchestral music with the BBC orchestras and his own two orchestras. He also hosts Radio 2's The Charles Hazlewood Show, exploring his vast and catholic music tastes, in sessions recorded on his farm in Somerset. The show has won Hazlewood 3 Sony Awards.

New Ways of Approaching Music

In between Charles has continued to take his approach into new territories. He formed a lyric theatre company from the townships and villages of South Africa, staging the Christ story 'The Mysteries' and Bizet's 'Carmen' in Cape Town. His 'Carmen' caused some outrage in the local press, with one reviewer expressing his disgust at 'Africans' singing opera. Later this very show was made into a film which won best film at the Berlin Film Festival. The company's global success however was no inoculation against the hardships of their country, several members died from AIDS and other succumbed to alcoholism on the journey to success. In 2004 their show 'the Mysteries', which Charles devised and directed the music, came to the West End and was a 'sensation', selling out and even inspired a leader in the Times - the first on the arts in 40 years.

He launched the 'Charles Hazlewood All Stars' at Glastonbury Festival 2008, featuring Will Gregory (Goldfrapp), Adrian Utley (Portishead), saxophonist Andy Sheppard and cellist Matthew Barley. 

In 2009 Charles made his conducting debuts with the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment in London and the Malmo Symphony in Sweden. He also records and tours with his own orchestras, Excellent Device and the Army of Generals. 

Play The Field 

Not ready to sit back, Charles launched his own orchestral music festival at his farm near Glastonbury, Somerset in August 2009. In assoication with his friend and classic music enthusiast Deborah Meadon, Charles was determined to get great orchestral music out of the traditional confines of the concert hall and give local people an experience of a world class symphony orchestra.  In August 2009 'Play the Field' opened to an audience of 4,000 people, most of whom had never heard an orchestra play live before.

Sample Speech Topics

In these engaging and enlivening workshops, Charles Hazlewood shares stories from his experience of travelling the globe making music, with unemployed black south Africans to some of the finest European orchestras. With anecdote and practical demonstration he shares some of the highs and lows of his successful career and helps us discover the music in all of us, leaving his audience with a sense of new possibilities and refreshed energy.

‘Opening the mind to music, opens possibilities’.
 
‘Where there is music there is wellbeing’.

Charles is happy to tailor his approach to the composition and contexts of each audience.

• Enabling creativity through music.

Not everyone can be a gold medallist, but everyone can make music..even if its just singing a round or clapping a simple rythmn. Once you’ve experienced making music with others you’ve experienced what it is to trust, to lead, to risk and succeed.

• Puccini and the Pistols
  We think of music in boxes, classical, pop, jazz, swing. In truth all music is made of the same ingredients. Using disparate pieces of music Charles demonstrates the ingredients that link them. To understand music is to feel empowered to listen with greater engagement and venture into the unknown.
• Conducting the art of the extra-ordinary made ordinary
  What does a conductor do except wave his hands about? Charles Hazlewood reveals through anecdote and demonstration the art of galvanising a symphony orchestra into one glorious voice that speaks to its audience.
• Music the universal language
  So often in life what you mean to say isn’t what your audience hears; often different agendas and social and cultural differences get in the way.  But you can play the same chord to a child in Germany and a child in South Africa and they will draw the same truth from that chord despite their different backgrounds. Music, as the most universal language we have as a species, holds clues to how we can talk to each other and be heard, across any racial, political, or social divide.
• Making the heart sing
  To sing is to put yourself out there, to come out of your comfort zone and risk.  In the safe hands of world renowned conductor Charles Hazlewood, you will experience the pay offs, trust, teamwork, confidence and well being. 
   

For further information or to book Charles Hazlewood, call us on +44 (0)20 7607 7070 or email us on info@speakerscorner.co.uk