Association of British Orchestras elects Simon Webb as new chair
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Simon Webb of BBC Philharmonic has been elected chair of the Association of British Orchestras (ABO).
Simon Webb of BBC Philharmonic has been elected chair of the Association of British Orchestras (ABO).
He takes over from Gavin Reid, chief executive of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Simon brings to his role at the ABO a wealth of experience both as a player, administrator and educator, passionate about innovative ways of engaging audiences – especially through the use of new technology. As a former professional musician he spent 15 years playing the cello with orchestras, including the London Philharmonic under Sir Georg Solti (whom he calls ‘one of my musical heroes’), Bernard Haitink and, at Glyndebourne, Andrew Davis. Simon also worked in various roles for concert promoters and Arts Council England before joining the CBSO as Director of Orchestral Management in 2008. In 2014 , he took up his current post as general manager of the BBC Philharmonic, based in MediaCityUK, Salford and in 2015 was appointed a governor of Chetham's School of Music in Manchester.
During his time with the BBC Philharmonic, where he has been general manager since 2014, he has built close ties with the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University to support student composers and conductors, and with University of Salford developing new technologies to reach new audiences. One of the innovations he has been exploring with the BBC Phil is the use of smart phones in the concert hall (kept on silent, he stresses) to deliver real-time information to audiences on the repertoire being played.
ABO director Mark Pemberton said: 'I am delighted that Simon Webb has been elected chair of the ABO. His experience as both a musician and manager will be invaluable in putting the ABO at the heart of strategies for sustaining and rebuilding the orchestral sector as we emerge from the pandemic. My thanks too to Gavin Reid for his skilled and committed chairing of the ABO these past three years.'
Simon Webb said: 'The work the ABO does on behalf of the UK orchestral sector is essential and greatly valued by its membership. I look forward to working with Mark Pemberton, his team and the ABO board to ensure the UK’s orchestras remain fully supported during these challenging times and beyond. Gavin Reid has chaired the ABO for the last three years and I thank him for his excellent leadership over this period.'
In addition to Gavin Reid, outgoing board members are Matthew Swann, Ginny Macbeth and Catherine Arlidge MBE. The remaining board members will conduct a Governance Review prior to new board members being elected in Spring 2021.
The 2021 ABO Conference is scheduled to take place 10-12 March. Further details about the conference and its format will be announced at a later date.