Introduction

From being on the front desk at the CBSO Centre to now joining the CBSO on stage at Symphony Hall, this concert is such an exciting full circle moment for me.

I admired so much of the music and the musicians that I got to know during my time at the CBSO. To sit amongst the CBSO and play my own music feels like a fantasy to me. Birmingham is my hometown and to be coming back as an artist whose music people enjoy will be very special.

In Birmingham, you could pretty much put me anywhere and I’d know my way around by foot. It’s the only place in the world for which that’s true for me. I sometimes even have a recurring dream about the 35 bus route - so many places in Birmingham represent huge or intimate moments in my life, whether that was Moseley being the daytime hangout spots, the Midlands Art Centre where I got my piano lessons, or the central library which was a staple both for my personal and academic life and a place where I discovered a lot of new music.

This concert represents a new era in my music career. There will be the familiar, well-loved tunes as well as new interpretations of my music and sneak peeks of a new album! It’s not every day that you get to write and perform with an orchestra - I first arranged ‘Can’t Live with the World’ for the Metropole Orkest and I was petrified that it wouldn’t play right. It was one thing growing up with orchestras and another to have them play your music. Writing for an orchestra was a really new thing for me, however now it requires me to dig deeper and I thrive on that challenge, as much as it might terrify me.

Birmingham had such a genuine faith in me from since I was a little kid so to start this new era with the CBSO is perfect and I’m so happy to be able to share this pinnacle moment with my loved ones in Birmingham.

Laura Mvula
Writer, Vocalist

Black Lives in Music

Black Lives in Music is an organisation committed to championing racial equity and inclusion across the United Kingdom music industry. We work with artists, creatives, industry professionals and policymakers to remove barriers and ensure a thriving and diverse music culture.

Our mission is to equalise opportunity, access and representation for Black and global majority individuals, from the earliest stages of music education through to professional careers. Through research, campaigning, education and mentoring, we challenge systemic inequalities and create long-term change across the sector.
Black Lives in Music has produced pioneering reports, including Being Black in the Music Industry, which captured the lived experiences of Black musicians and professionals, exposing issues of discrimination and structural inequality and sparking industry-wide debate and action. Our work also includes creating safe spaces for students, supporting the decolonisation of conservatoires and championing underrepresented voices in classical and contemporary music.

From festivals such as Classically Black to initiatives that address licensing discrimination in live music through the forthcoming REMEL report, Black Lives in Music continues to amplify diverse voices and transform the cultural landscape.

At its core, Black Lives in Music is not just shaping the conversation around diversity in music. It is building the future of the industry, powered by equity, creativity and community.

Classically Black Birmingham is part of a bold and pioneering festival created by Black Lives in Music to celebrate the richness, diversity, and brilliance of Black composers and musicians. Now in its second year, the festival forms part of a wider cultural movement that reimagines classical music through the lens of culture, identity, and lived experience.