Roberto Neri has been confirmed as the next Chief Executive Officer of The Ivors Academy. He will start the role on 15th April, taking over from Interim CEO Charlie Phillips. Roberto has over 20 years’ experience working in senior roles across the music industry. Most recently CEO of the publishing arm of Believe, which represents over 400,000 songwriters and composers globally, Roberto’s previous roles include Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer at Utopia Music Services, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Development at Downtown Music, Founder and CEO at Eagle-i Music and V ..read more

Following a competitive recruitment process, Matthew Swan has been appointed the new Director of the BBC Concert Orchestra, beginning 27 March. Matthew has over 20 years’ experience in leadership roles across orchestral music. He was Chief Executive of City of London Sinfonia from 2012 until 2021, where he worked to pioneer new and innovative performance formats, including inviting audiences to co-create their own performance experience, as well as engaging with artists across classical, jazz, folk and electronic to grow new and younger audiences. He co-founded Your Turn Collective, empowering ..read more

The tone and tuning of musical instruments has the power to manipulate our appreciation of harmony, new research shows. The findings challenge centuries of Western music theory and encourage greater experimentation with instruments from different cultures. According to the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, ‘consonance’ – a pleasant-sounding combination of notes – is produced by special relationships between simple numbers such as 3 and 4. More recently, scholars have tried to find psychological explanations, but these ‘integer ratios’ are still credited with making a chord sound ..read more

BBC Radio 3 unveils refreshed schedule, welcoming new talent to its presenting family alongside a raft of new commissions BBC TV announces major new series and performance highlights from across the UK Sam Jackson, Controller BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms said: “Distinctiveness and ambition are at the heart of the new Radio 3 schedule, as we look to delight our existing audience whilst also offering a raft of programmes that give new listeners a reason to join us. Today, we cement our commitment to live music, and take the opportunity to tell powerful stories through the magical medium ..read more

BBC statement on the future of the BBC Singers and its Orchestras We have now concluded a project looking at the future of the BBC’s performing groups. The BBC is pleased to announce it has a sustainable plan for the future for the BBC Singers as an integral part of the BBC’s classical music provision, drawing on support from a third party, The VOCES8 Foundation. BBC Singers staff will continue to be employed by the BBC, with a strong artistic identity, and remain core to BBC Radio 3 and the BBC Proms. Following an exploration of options, the proposal will draw on The VOCES8 Foundation’s consi ..read more

After leading the world’s greatest classical music festival for nearly a decade, David Pickard has decided to step down as the Director of the BBC Proms. He will remain in post until October 2024, overseeing the Proms 2024 and planning for future seasons. David was appointed Director of the BBC Proms in 2015, to fulfil the BBC’s mission, set out by Henry Wood, to bring the best classical music to the widest possible audience. Over the years he has expanded the breadth of the Proms, reaching new audiences across the UK and increasing the diversity of artists, composers and collaborators. T ..read more

Following a very competitive recruitment process, Bill Chandler has been appointed Director of the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus and Adam Szabo has been appointed Director of the BBC Philharmonic.   Bill Chandler brings a wealth of experience to the role of Director of the BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. Originally from the USA, Bill was a violinist in the Houston Symphony and then joined the Royal Scottish National Orchestra as Associate Leader. Since September 2021 he has been Director of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and in that time has built new partnerships across the UK, wi ..read more

James B. Wilson’s 1922, celebrating the BBC’s centenary and Laura Karman’sHigher. Further. Faster.(main theme from The Marvels) will be performed alongside traditional Last Night favourites The BBC Proms 2023 season culminates in the celebratory Last Night of the Proms, which takes place on Saturday 9 September at the Royal Albert Hall. This year’s festival finale is led by conductor Marin Alsop, who hosts the concert alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus and two star soloists: soprano Lise Davids ..read more

33 recordings now compete to win their category as well as to be named Recording of the Year Winners to be announced at star-studded ceremony on Wednesday October 4 at London’s De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, alongside special awards including Artist of the Year and Lifetime Achievement, in the year that Gramophone celebrates its centenary Gramophone today [September 8, 2023] reveals the top three recordings in each category of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2023. Widely regarded as the Oscars of classical music, the Awards celebrate exceptional recordings of the pa ..read more

Following the success of the annual Early Music Days in July and the inaugural Charles Burney Early Music weekend in 2022, King’s Lynn Festival announces the second Charles Burney Early Music Festival, this autumn, from Friday 29 September until Sunday 1st October 2023. Concerts will feature Steven Devine and the award-winning Apollo’s Cabinet. Launching their CD “Charles Burney Baroque Travelblogger” Apollo’s Cabinet open the Festival with a programme following Burney’s journeys across Europe with music from the countries he visited. This takes place in the historic T ..read more