Hazlewood officially announced the formation of the Paraorchestra in July 2011 at a TED conference in Edinburgh. He did not intend the Paraorchestra to be a therapeutic or "warm and fuzzy" project, but rather a platform to showcase disabled musicians with virtuosic qualities. When holding auditions, he aimed to find musicians who were "at the top of their game, technically, and with a spirit behind the virtuosity." The orchestra's first 17 members come from a variety of backgrounds and use a variety of instruments, including conventional instruments and electronic devices such as tablet computers and other assistive technology developed by Rolf Gehlhaar, Professor in Experimental Music at Coventry University and the technical director of the orchestra. After failing to partner with the BBC, Hazlewood successfully commissioned British broadcaster Channel 4 to produce a documentary following the formation of the Paraorchestra and its first performance, which aired on 9 September 2012. He felt airing its documentary on Channel 4 was a "no-brainer", as it was also the official broadcaster of the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
