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New Directors Appointed to the ABO Board

31 March 2008

The ABO today announced the appointment of three new directors to its Board. They are: Dawn Day, General Manager of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Andrew Jowett, Director of Town Hall & Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and Chi-chi Nwanoku MBE, musician and BBC Radio 3 presenter.

Mark Pemberton, Director of the ABO, says: "We are delighted to welcome three such highly respected professionals onto the Board. Dawn Day will bring expertise from an orchestra that does not rely on public funding, Andrew Jowett will represent the intersts of venues, who work closely in partnership with orchestras, and Chi-chi Nwanoku will provide a voice for the musicians themselves."

The new directors take their places on the Board with immediate effect. They join: Stephen Maddock, Chief Executive of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Hazel Province, Orchestra Director of Royal Opera House; Gavin Reid, Director of BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Bob Riley, General Manager of Manchester Camerata; Timothy Walker (Chairman), Chief Executive and Artistic Director of London Philharmonic Orchestra; and Simon Woods, Chief Executive of Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Biographies

Dawn Day began her career in orchestral management in 1988 when she joined the London Philharmonic Orchestra as a secretary in the Concerts Department. She worked with the orchestra for eight years, becoming Concerts Manager with responsibility for touring, for the orchestra's work at Glyndebourne, and for all commercial work and special projects. After a year as a full-time mother following the birth of her first child, she accepted the job of Concerts Director at the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 1997 and was made General Manager in 2004.

Andrew Jowett has worked in the arts for over 30 years. On graduation from the University of Salford, he was appointed Assistant General Manager at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. From 1979-1981 Andrew was Director of Darlington Civic Theatre and from 1982-1988 he was Director of the Arts Centre, University of Warwick. Since 1989 Andrew has been Director of Symphony Hall, Birmingham, one of the world's greatest concert halls, and is responsible for its artistic programming, operation, and management. From February 2007, Birmingham City Council determined that Symphony Hall and Town Hall Birmingham should be managed together under the company, Performances Birmingham Limited (PBL), and Andrew is now Chief Executive of PBL as well as retaining overall directorial responsibility for Town Hall & Symphony Hall. He is Chair of the British Association of Concet Halls, Vice-Chair of Audiences Central and a Member of the Theatrical Management Association, serving on the Finance and Marketing & Enterprises Committees. Andrew is a Trustee of the Young Musicians Trust, a Trustee of the Elgar Birthplace Foundation, and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Central England. He is a Member of the International Society for the Performing Arts, and a Member of the European Concert Hall Organisation.

Chi-chi Nwanoku is half the size of her double bass, yet has gained a reputation as one of the finest exponents of her instrument. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music, then in Rome with Franco Petracchi, and soon found herself in demand internationally, as orchestral principal, chamber musican and soloist. Chi-chi is Principal Double Bassist and founder member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Endymion Ensemble. She is Professor of Double Bass Historical Studies at Trinity College of Music and the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) of Great Britain. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1998. Chi-chi presents BBC Radio 3 Requests every Sunday, and was a member of the jury for the BBC 2's Classical Star. As well as supporting many charities, she is Governor on the board of the NYO, and a Patron of Music Preserved. In 2001, Chi-chi was awarded an MBE for 'Services to Music' in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

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