It’s an orchestra like no other and it’s going to transform Huddersfield Town Hall into a couple of party nights to remember.
The Yorkshire-based Paradox Orchestra is made up of top class musicians who have performed with some of music’s biggest names and forged a reputation for staging breath-taking concerts that put a classical twist on rock, pop, R&B and dance.
They are also using their classical skills to help charities and good causes while playing at some of the north’s iconic venues and they’ve already got three gigs lined up at Huddersfield Town Hall.
In the first one on Friday, May 17, they’ll be playing Pink Floyd’s hits, but the second and third are immersive party nights complete with lights, singers, dancers and DJs. Seats will be removed to make way for the audience to dance.
On Saturday, July 13, the orchestra is teaming up with well-known Leeds-based DJ Angie Lee for Angie’s Disco which will transform the town hall into an Ibiza party night.
The final concert will be at Halloween on Thursday, October 31, when the party will be R&B classics featuring music from Beyonce, Rihanna, Missy Elliot, Kelis, Black Eyed Peas and Destiny’s Child.
The party nights start around 6pm and will go on until after 11pm.
Michael Sluman
Paradox Orchestra was founded in 2020 by professional musician Michael Sluman, a graduate of Leeds Conservatoire who then studied a PhD at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
The 33-year-old spent his 20s playing guest principal oboe in professional orchestras all over the world, performing in major concert halls at locations such as Sydney, Tokyo, Seoul, Berlin, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.
He wanted to set up a professional 40-strong session orchestra in the north and Paradox has musicians who have played with the biggest acts in pop, such as Ed Sheeran, Louis Tomlinson, Marc Almond and Little Mix.
But Michael is also keen to help charities and the community so allows them to come to the rehearsals for free on the day of the concerts to see an orchestra close-up and speak to the musicians.
At the Pink Floyd gig those involved will be Bradford early education and training charity BHT and Unmasked Mental Health from Halifax.
The orchestra will also donate 5% of its ticket sales to the charities. Any charities and community groups wanting to apply to have a behind-the-scenes experience before the next two Huddersfield shows can email Michael at info@paradoxorchestra.co.uk
Michael, who is the orchestra’s creative director, said: “Interest in what we are doing is really growing and we are now getting a lot of bookings.
“We are called Paradox because this fusion of classical with the different musical styles is just that, a paradox that, on paper, is contradictory and doesn’t work but we’ve discovered that it works remarkably well and audiences at shows and festivals we’ve done have loved it.
“It’s also a great opportunity to introduce people to classical music, especially those who probably wouldn’t have otherwise heard it. We want to inspire the next generation of classical musicians.
“We promise a soulful, enriching, uplifting, entertaining and inclusive experience.”
A lot of the orchestration is done by the orchestra’s musical director, Laurence Mason, who lives in Dewsbury.
The Paradox Orchestra has an inhouse team of orchestrators, DJs, musical arrangers and tech staff to tailor new musical shows and their latest one will feature the music of Fleetwood Mac at Halifax Minster on Saturday, June 29.
Michael added: “We want to demystify classical music and reach younger and hard-to-reach audiences to make it accessible, enriching and fun.
“The success of Paradox Orchestra is drawing on my experiences and classical training while being open minded to new sounds, collaborations and opportunities while not being scared to take risks.
“It’s a win-win as audiences enjoy the music more while supporting young musicians in the classical profession.”
Diane Watkinson, audience development manager at Kirklees Council, said: “We are thrilled to have programmed such an exciting orchestra that will appeal to young and old alike. It’s great to use the town hall as an engaging space to celebrate new musical talent of the highest calibre and attract new audiences to it.”
To book the shows go to https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/town-halls/events-and-shows.aspx
For more information on the orchestra go to https://www.paradoxorchestra.co.uk/
What’s On in Huddersfield in May 2024 with concerts, shows, music, street food and great vibes
