Sean Michael Gross becomes vice president of Warner Classics in North America and UK

Warner Classics, the classical music branch of Warner Music Group, has today announced the promotion of Sean Michael Gross to the new role of vice president of Warner Classics UK & North America. This represents an expansion of Gross’s role leading Warner Classics in the UK since joining the company in 2021. 

In the two years Gross has run Warner Classics in the UK he has grown the label’s market share, successfully led a campaign to make the Official Classical Charts more inclusive, and supported the launch of emerging artists including Abel Selaocoe and Fatma Said. In his new role Gross will split his time between London and the US, continuing to report to Warner Classics and Erato president Alain Lanceron.

Lanceron said: ‘Sean has been a tremendous asset to our global Classics team in the last couple of years.  He is always at the forefront of change in the classical music sector, taking an innovative approach that embraces the future. I know that he’ll do a fantastic job leading our North American operations.’

Born in California, Gross began his music career as a jazz saxophonist before beginning a career behind the scenes at artist management agencies IMG Artists and Askonas Holt as well as at arts PR firm 21C Media Group. Since 2022, he has served on the Board of Governors of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Gross said: ‘I’ve been honoured to serve as the steward of our incredible artists and catalogue in the UK these past two years and am excited to now add North America to my remit. In my view, there has never been a more exciting time for classical music, with the breadth of new artists and repertoire that are expanding our definition of the genre, and more than a century of recorded music accessible at every curious listener’s fingertips.’