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| Jan Younghusband (Photo: BYO) |
At a time of challenge in arts funding, British Youth Opera (BYO) has bravely soldiered on, providing support, training and opportunity for young singers fresh out of college. BYO’s recent Summer opera productions have shown the company challenging and innovating with Vaughan Williams’ The Pilgrim’s Progress at the Three Choirs Festival in 2023 [see my review], Britten’s Rape of Lucretia at the Brunel Museum in 2024 and Britten’s Peter Grimes (in collaboration with Cambridge Philharmonic) at Saffron Hall and Cadogan Hall this year [see my review].
Now the company has announced that its long-serving chair, Sir Richard Greenhalgh is stepping down and that multi award-winning TV and film producer, Jan Younghusband has been appointed chair, joining chief executive Anna Patalong.
Jan Younghusband was Head of Music and Events at the BBC for 14 years and was also Head of Arts for Channel 4 for a decade. She has always had a deep affection for opera having started her career in opera production at Glyndebourne and later worked with Sir Peter Hall on his opera productions including The Ring in Bayreuth. In TV she has commissioned three new operas for the screen as TV dramas and made eight opera films. She more recently produced the new Andrea Bocelli film.
Jan Younghusband commented: “I have had the great joy and honour to work in opera all my career on stage and screen. I have always been a passionate supporter of our arts sector and I am delighted to be able to support this brilliant organisation British Youth Opera which trains and supports the next generation of great artists and talent across our industry both in the UK and internationally.
The kinds of opportunities that gave me my start in the arts and specifically in opera just don’t exist anymore, which makes BYO’s mission to widen access to those careers so crucial.”
Full details from the BYO website.
