BBC Singers announce new creative appointments

The BBC Singers have announced the appointments of Owain Park to the role of principal guest conductor, Roderick Williams OBE to the role of composer in association and both Anna Lapwood and Abel Selaocoe to the role of artist in association. Chief conductor Sofi Jeannin has also extended her contract with the Singers until the end of the 2025-2026 season.

Alan Davey, controller for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Orchestras and Choirs, said: ‘These four appointments represent an important step for the BBC Singers in their ambition to bring exceptional choral music to the widest audiences.’

Composer and conductor Owain Park has worked extensively with the BBC Singers in the past, most recently collaborating with the choir for the BBC Radio 3 Breakfast Carol Competition in 2020.

Park said: ‘I’m looking forward to continuing my relationship with them as Principal Guest Conductor, and developing ideas for innovative programmes that showcase the very best of what choral music has to offer, highlighting lesser-known works alongside the classics, and developing an audience base through concerts, broadcasts and education.’

Roderick Williams OBE will succeed Judith Weir, who was the BBC Singers’ composer in association from 2015 to 2019. Williams’ recent work with the choir includes commissions World Without End and O Rex Gentium in 2018 and 2021 respectively. Going forward, he will write one new piece for the Singers each year.

Williams said: ‘The experience of writing a virtuoso piece for them in 2018 (World Without End) was one of the highlights of my compositional career and I look forward to deepening our relationship and developing as a composer over the next few years.’

Organist and broadcaster Anna Lapwood will join the BBC Singers as artist in association, taking on the role of artist and presenter as well as working with the Singers’ education initiatives. Anna has worked with the singers in the past, and in 2021 collaborated with thee choir on a performance of Kristina Arakelyan’s Seascapes.

She said: ‘I have enormous respect for the group’s committed approach to education, performance and diversity, so it’s an exciting prospect to be able to work so closely together over an extended period to promote marginalised voices and open up the world of choral music to as many young people as possible.’

Cellist Abel Selaocoe will join Lapwood in supporting the Singers’ education work in the role of artist in association, as well as working as musician, vocalist and curator with the group. Selaocoe has performed with the BBC at the 2021 Proms as well as with the BBC Concert Orchestra will collaborate with the BBC Singers in a new version of of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers in 2023.

He said: ‘I’m so grateful for such a unique opportunity to bring my influences of South African culture, as it’s known as the nation of song. I know this journey will be so inspired and full of great explorations.’

Having initially taken the role of chief conductor in 2017, Sofi Jeannin has extended her contract with the BBC Singers until 2026. Taking advantage of this extension, her future projects with the group include the world premiere of Joanna Marsh’s SEEN next month, her first commercial recording with the Singers, and a return to the BBC Proms.

Sofi says: ‘When I first met the BBC Singers back in 2017, it just clicked… Getting to work with them and getting to know them over these last years has been an absolute privilege. I feel most lucky to pursue this relationship and I feel that we have much to explore and develop together.’

You can find out more about the BBC Singers here.