Friday 13th January, 2023

---

---

National Youth Choirs of Great Britain today announces the appointment of Lucy Hollins as its new Creative Director. Lucy will join the organisation later in the spring, from the University of Warwick, where she is currently Head of Music. Ben Parry stepped down as NYCGB Artistic Director at the end of last year, although he remains Principal Conductor of the National Youth Choir until later this year.  

As well as her work at Warwick University, Lucy is also Associate Chorus Director of the London Symphony Chorus, conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s SO Vocal, Guest Conductor of the Cambridge Philharmonic and Creative Lead at the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. 

An expert in the field of music education and engagement, she is also a vocal leader for Music for Life and conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra’s Junior Choir. 

Lucy is also a published author, having co-written How To Make Your Choir Sound Awesome with Suzzie Vango, released in 2022 and named Choral Publication of the Year by Presto Music. 

Working alongside NYCGB’s Chief Executive Anne Besford, Lucy will lead the development of NYCGB’s creative strategy and programmes, including NYCGB’s four national choirs, currently comprising more than 900 young singers aged between 9 and 25 from all regions of the country and from increasingly diverse backgrounds. 

Alongside the choirs, Lucy will work with the NYCGB team to continue to open up access to singing for everyone, through its transformative Learning and Engagement programme and its industry-leading Fellowship and Young Composers programmes, supporting musicians at the start of their careers. 

Lucy Hollins said:

I’m thrilled to be taking on the role of Creative Director. NYCGB is a wonderful organisation, which has flourished and grown under the inspiring leadership of Ben Parry. I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to develop this work, to engage more widely with young singers across the UK, and to work with the brilliant and dedicated team to challenge preconceptions about the role of choral music in our culture. Let’s get everyone singing!

David Roper, Chair of NYCGB, said:

I’m delighted that Lucy will be joining our team as our new Creative Director.  Lucy brings a wealth of experience of working with a diverse range of singers from all backgrounds and creating innovative creative programmes. This is an exciting time for the choirs as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary this year and Lucy will play a vital role in taking us forward to the next chapter of our development as a leader in choral singing for young people from across the UK.