Roger Wright to step down as chief executive of Britten Pears Arts

Chief executive of Britten Pears Arts, Roger Wright, has today announced that he will step down from the role in July 2024. Wright’s departure comes after 10 years at the helm of the Suffolk-based cultural charity, which is set to celebrate the 75^th edition of its Aldeburgh Festival next year.

Wright will step away from the full-time role but, in a tweet published today, confirmed he plans ‘still to be engaged with our remarkable music and arts sector and to help fight for it.' Wright joined Aldeburgh Music in September 2014 before its 2015 merger with Snape Maltings, and Snape Maltings' subsequent merger with the Britten-Pears Foundation in 2020. During this time he has steered the organisation through period of considerable development and change including the pandemic for which he won the ABO/Classical Music Concert Hall Manager of the Year award.

Sir Simon Robey, chair of Britten Pears Arts, said: ‘We are all delighted to have Roger with us for another 12 months so that he can lead the organisation through our anniversary year after the outstanding success of this year's Festival. There will be time to acknowledge Roger's extraordinary contribution to our organisation over a decade of transformational change and development. I will begin the process of finding a successor with the Board in the autumn.’

As chief executive of Britten Pears Arts, Wright oversees the Aldeburgh Festival as well as the charity’s venues, The Red and Snape Maltings, where the festival takes place. He also carries on the legacy of charity namesakes composer Benjamin Britten and his partner, singer Peter Pears, in the form of the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme which this year celebrates its 50^th year of providing performance training to emerging talent.

Wright was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to music in the 2015 New Year Honours list and his other accolades include honorary fellowships of the Royal College of Music, Royal Holloway College, the Radio Academy and, in April 2023, the Royal Academy of Music.

Wright said: ‘After what will be a decade here, it feels that next July, after the 75th Aldeburgh Festival, is the right time for me to move on and enjoy a new more flexible life for the first time in almost fifty years. I look forward to my final year with Britten Pears Arts with ongoing vim and vigour. It is a pleasure and privilege to work in this unique organisation and although it is too early for farewells, I shall always treasure and be grateful for the chance to lead Britten Pears Arts through such an important period in its history.’