Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama appoints new trustees

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) has announced the appointment of six trustees. The new appointments are intended to add further expertise in the legal and digital fields and help the board better reflect the range of skills taught at the conservatoire.

The new trustees are:

• April Koyejo-Audiger, soprano and former Link Artist and Jette Parker Anniversary Company Artist for the Royal Opera House.
• Tianyi Lu (pictured), an RWCMD graduate and former Welsh National Opera female conductor in residence who is now conductor-in-residence with Norway’s Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and artist ambassador for Opera for Peace.
• Nitin Sawhney CBE, musician, composer, producer and Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement recipient. Sawhney is also chair of Trustees for the PRS Foundation.
• David Ruebain, former chief executive of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (CDD) and current pro-vice-chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion at the University of Sussex.
• Ian Lewis, founder of media consultancy, film and TV distribution and production company Serenroc, and deputy chair of the board of the National Film and Television School.
• Nigel Annett CBE, a founding director of Glas Cymru (Welsh Water) and trustee of the Community Foundation of Wales which promotes philanthropy in the country.

Announcing the new appointments, RWCMD board chairman John Derrick said: ‘The six new trustees reflect the exceptional breadth and depth of skills and experience that a 21st century conservatoire board needs. They bring deep knowledge and expertise from music to screen and recorded film, media and opera.’

The trustees will join the Derrick for their first board meeting in February. The board also includes University of South Wales deputy vice-chancellor Dr Ben Calvert; education analytics consultant Mario Ferelli; Natasha Hale, CEO of Cardiff-based media production company Bad Wolf; information technology executive Aled Miles; former KPMG Russia CEO, Roger Munnings and Welsh civil servant, Manon Antoniazzi.

Talking about her new appointment, Tianyi Lu said: ‘As a relatively recent graduate of RWCMD, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support and contribute to its development by becoming a trustee. I believe deeply in the College and its position to create the next generation of courageous, empathetic artists in our changing world’.