Chaka Khan

Live with an orchestra for the first time, Chaka Khan presents the 20th anniversary of her album ClassiKhan for the closing night of Meltdown 2024 For the finale of this year’s Meltdown festival, Khan celebrates 50 years of a pioneering career, bringing her incredible voice and global influence to this concert alongside the uncategorisable Nu Civilisation Orchestra. ClassiKhan is the tenth studio album by Chaka Khan, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra. Released in 2004, Khan covers well-loved jazz and swing standards, such as ‘Stormy Weather’ and ‘Round Midnight’, as well as classics from a range of other genres, such as Broadway show-tune ‘Hey Big Spender’ from Sweet Charity and many more. With countless hits under her belt – including the uncontainable ‘I’m Every Woman’, one of the most iconic voices in music, and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, Khan is a powerhouse in music and this event spotlights her incomparable vocals in a concert with a full orchestral backing. Nu Civilisation Orchestra was founded in 2008 by artistic director Gary Crosby OBE. Under the direction of musical director Peter Edwards, the orchestra has earned a reputation as a shapeshifting, cutting-edge ensemble. Refusing to be bound by genre or scale, it metamorphoses into a new format as each new project is unveiled. The orchestra has performed extensively across the UK, including a BBC Proms debut in 2019, playing Aladdin Sane Live at the Royal Festival Hall in 2023, and a national tour in 2021 for a creative exploration of Marvin Gaye’s seminal masterpiece, What’s Going On, five decades after its release.