Charles Hazelwood
Charles Hazlewood is one of the most successful musicians of his generation and was described by the Daily Telegraph as ‘the face of BBC Classical music’.
He combines his role as a globe-trotting conductor with high-profile TV and radio broadcasts. He has his own Sony Award-winning shows on Radio 3 (DISCOVERING MUSIC) and Radio 2 (THE CHARLES HAZLEWOOD SHOW), and has also authored and conducted the music in landmark documentaries on Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky for BBC television and presented a landmark series about the birth of British Music for BBC2.
He combines his role as a globe-trotting conductor with high-profile TV and radio broadcasts. He has his own Sony Award-winning shows on Radio 3 (DISCOVERING MUSIC) and Radio 2 (THE CHARLES HAZLEWOOD SHOW), and has also authored and conducted the music in landmark documentaries on Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky for BBC television and presented a landmark series about the birth of British Music for BBC2.
The face
of BBC
Classical
Music
Charles is Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, Founder/Music Director of EXCELLENT DEVICE! and its sister orchestra, the period instrument ensemble ARMY OF GENERALS. He also guest conducts most of the leading orchestras in the UK and abroad and in 2006 made his conducting debut for the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. He brought the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain to the 2007 Glastonbury Festival, making history in performing the first ever symphony concert on the world-famous Pyramid Stage. In 2009 he will be conducting the Concertgebouw Royal Orchestra of Amsterdam, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Charles co-founded the Cape Town-based lyric theatre company DIMPHO DI KOPANE (Sotho for Combined Talents). His productions with the company as Musical Director have included THE MYSTERIES, THE BEGGARS OPERA, THE SNOW QUEEN and CARMEN; their first feature film ‘U CARMEN E KHAYELITSHA,’ premiered in South Africa in 2005, going on to win the prestigious Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival.
Charles is also a charismatic and engaging speaker who hosts a motivational and interactive presentation which draws metaphors between a working orchestra and a typical business environment.
The presentation, which generally lasts for between 45 minutes and an hour and works as well for intimate audiences of fifty up to those in their thousands, is effectively split into two parts. During the first half, Charles delivers an energetic and articulate speech, which draws analogies between the workings of an office with that of an orchestra. Both music and business depend on individuals working as part of a whole, in pursuit of a common goal. As he talks, Charles addresses specific leadership challenges, including the fundamental necessity for clear communication and creating and communicating a single vision through strong teamwork.
The second half is highly interactive, and involves Charles dividing his audience into a number of different sections, each of which is taught individual sounds. Instead of providing each member with an instrument (problematic with large audiences!), the audience themselves become the instruments: one group may become tongue clickers, performing to a rhythm suggested by Charles; another may become thigh slappers, tapping their legs to a specific beat. A third group will be given a short hand clapping routine, whilst a fourth will have to hum their way through a short melody. After each group has mastered their own challenge, they ultimately join together to perform as one. The result is a distinctive and unique composition, which provides a dramatic illustration of exactly what can be achieved by working together in a positive, productive and committed way.
Charles co-founded the Cape Town-based lyric theatre company DIMPHO DI KOPANE (Sotho for Combined Talents). His productions with the company as Musical Director have included THE MYSTERIES, THE BEGGARS OPERA, THE SNOW QUEEN and CARMEN; their first feature film ‘U CARMEN E KHAYELITSHA,’ premiered in South Africa in 2005, going on to win the prestigious Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival.
Charles is also a charismatic and engaging speaker who hosts a motivational and interactive presentation which draws metaphors between a working orchestra and a typical business environment.
The presentation, which generally lasts for between 45 minutes and an hour and works as well for intimate audiences of fifty up to those in their thousands, is effectively split into two parts. During the first half, Charles delivers an energetic and articulate speech, which draws analogies between the workings of an office with that of an orchestra. Both music and business depend on individuals working as part of a whole, in pursuit of a common goal. As he talks, Charles addresses specific leadership challenges, including the fundamental necessity for clear communication and creating and communicating a single vision through strong teamwork.
The second half is highly interactive, and involves Charles dividing his audience into a number of different sections, each of which is taught individual sounds. Instead of providing each member with an instrument (problematic with large audiences!), the audience themselves become the instruments: one group may become tongue clickers, performing to a rhythm suggested by Charles; another may become thigh slappers, tapping their legs to a specific beat. A third group will be given a short hand clapping routine, whilst a fourth will have to hum their way through a short melody. After each group has mastered their own challenge, they ultimately join together to perform as one. The result is a distinctive and unique composition, which provides a dramatic illustration of exactly what can be achieved by working together in a positive, productive and committed way.
Testimonials
Thank you very much for making Charlie's session possible. It was inspiring and extremely relevant to the challenges BT are tackling ….. I have had a lot of very positive feedback from the leadership team……I will certainly have no hesitation in recommending Charles to other clients.
BT SECURITY & CONTINUITY LEADERSHIP GROUP CONFERENCE
BT SECURITY & CONTINUITY LEADERSHIP GROUP CONFERENCE
Charles Hazlewood, conducting with his usual muscular panache
THE TIMES
THE TIMES
Popstar lookalike... he could get anyone interested in music!
THE INDEPENDENT
THE INDEPENDENT
Charles Hazlewood is acid-hot!
THE OBSERVER
THE OBSERVER
Charles Hazlewood is a major proselytizing force in classical music and his energy and enthusiasm are infectious.
THE GUARDIAN
THE GUARDIAN
