Judith Webster announced as ABO CEO

The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) has announced the appointment of Judith Webster to the role of chief executive. Joining the association on 14 November, Webster will succeed Mark Pemberton, who stepped down on 30 September after 15 years in the role.

After holding the role of CEO for national music education charity Music for Youth for a decade, Webster became a freelance Music Education Professional in January of this year before accepting the ABO role.

ABO chair Simon Webb, said: ‘Judith is an established and highly regarded colleague in the orchestral and music education sectors. She has demonstrated her understanding of the sector and ability to deliver real and effective change both in orchestras and in the music education sector more broadly. She is a familiar and respected colleague to many of our members through her work with the RPO, London Sinfonietta, RCM and Music for Youth, where many of us have worked with Judith and admired her vision and determination to deliver high quality work with and for young people.’

Webster’s previous work advocating for orchestral music has included the development of engagement programmes for both the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Sinfonietta. She also designed and directed a post-graduate Creative Leadership course for the Royal College of Music, mirroring the ABO’s own progress with its ‘Find Your Way’ leadership course designed for future sector leaders.

The ABO represents the collective interests of the UK’s professional orchestras, youth ensembles and wider classical music industry, helping to support the orchestral sector by providing advice, and research to industry members and leaders. As well as helping the industry cope with the ongoing effects of Brexit and Covid, the ABO is helping to make the sector more diverse, collaborative and sustainable.

About her new role, Webster said: ‘The opportunity to lead the ABO at this time is a perfect fit for me, combining as it does my passion for orchestras and my deep-rooted commitment to embracing change and supporting innovation in all aspects of their work… [I] look forward to working with ABO members and introducing new voices to the debate around how best to enable orchestras to thrive and build on the innovation of recent years.’