Great Britain’s National Children’s Orchestra has announced the appointment of seven new trustees, who will join the eight existing trustees to oversee the direction of the charity.
Following a lengthy open selection process, NCO welcomes Rosie Benneyworth, Beth Higham-Edwards, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, Lucy Maguire, Uchenna Ngwe, Letty Stott and Christine Wu.
They will be joining chair Louise Mitchell, and current trustees Janet Baker, George Caird, Miranda Francis, Fiona Harvey, Jonathan Mayes, Will Norris and Bran Weir.
Sophie Lewis, managing director, said: ‘Catherine Arlidge MBE (artistic and education director) and I are delighted to welcome NCO’s new trustees. We are looking forward to learning from them and with them as we bring our distinctive new strategy to life.
‘We would particularly like to thank retiring trustees Clare Thompson, Andrew Kemble, Howard Williams and Charles Bligh for their long-standing dedication to NCO and their unerring support of our leadership.’
Louise Mitchell, chair of trustees, said: ‘The NCO works year-round with children from across the UK, inspiring creativity and musicianship, irrespective of children's backgrounds or circumstances.
‘For our organisation to achieve its future aspirations, we require a group of trustees who bring a diversity of life experiences and lived experiences, cultural and social knowledge, as well as extensive expertise in business, education, music, wellbeing and strategy. I'm delighted that these new trustees will make such a strong contribution to NCO.’
NCO has also announced that auditions for 2022 are now open, calling for ‘all young musicians with promise, whatever their background, schooling or circumstances’. The programme for the upcoming year will feature a hybrid approach to in-person and digital activities.
Auditions are free and are submitted via a pre-recorded video - musicians need to be 8-13 years old on the 31 August in the year they apply. The application deadline is 14 September at 9am, and then young musicians will submit their video auditions by 1 October. More information can be found here.
(from top l, clockwise) Lucy Maguire, Beth Higham-Edwards, Uchenna Ngwe, Rosie Benneyworth, Christine Wu, Letty Stott, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason
