Announcing our 2024 Young Conductors

The National Youth Choir is delighted to welcome its first Young Conductors, Frankie Richards (left) and Gabrielle Chudi (right). 

The Young Conductors scheme is part of the National Youth Choir’s growing Emerging Professional Artists programme, supporting music leaders at the start of their careers. It joins the established Fellows and Young Composers programmes.  

This pilot year, supported by an Arts Council England Lottery Project Grant and developed in partnership with Black Lives in Music, aims to champion young people between the ages of 20-29 who are passionate about music leadership and who are from backgrounds currently under-represented in choral music.

Gabrielle Chudi is a singer/songwriter and vocal leader based in London. Since completing music leadership training with Ark Schools, she has worked with young singers in various contexts, including Ark Schools (as a mentor and artist), London Youth Choirs (as Junior Girls Conductor), Newham Music (as a Vocal Leader), and Living Song (as a Young Artist). Gabrielle is passionate about seeing high quality music education available to young people of all backgrounds.

Gabrielle said: “What the National Youth Choir are able to achieve with their singers is incredibly inspiring and I’m excited to learn all I can from the team that makes that happen!”

Frankie Richards is a former member of the National Youth Choir and Berkshire Maestros, and a Cambridge choral and conducting scholar, based in London.

Frankie said: “I love sharing the joy of ensemble music and view the arts as a transformational force in helping individuals and communities to flourish. I can’t wait to get started, working with the National Youth Choir.”

During this year Gabrielle and Frankie will gain experience conducting the National Youth Choir’s ensembles of singers aged 9 to 25, as well as being mentored by top conductors and educators, across a range of musical styles. They will also develop their knowledge of the industry and build a network of contacts that will prove invaluable as their careers continue.

Lucy Hollins, the National Youth Choir’s Creative Director, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Gabrielle and Frankie to the National Youth Choir as our inaugural Young Conductors, as part of our Emerging Professional Artist scheme. They are both remarkable musicians, with a real instinct to empower others through singing, and we are all extremely excited to be working with them over the coming year. This work builds on our hugely successful Fellowship and Young Composer programmes and is testament to our commitment to supporting and encouraging young musicians at every stage of their musical journeys.”  

Find out more about our Emerging Professional Artist programmes

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