NMC Recordings appoints Cathy Graham as executive director

Record label NMC has announced that Cathy Graham will take on the role of executive director. Starting on 20 February, Graham will succeed current executive director Helen Sprott, working closely with the NMC team and board, particularly creative director, Eleanor Wilson.

In her new role Graham will lead the strategic development of the organisation, recording and promoting new music by British and Irish composers. The label also has charitable status and so Graham’s role will also involve supporting artistic collaborations and education projects for the next generation.

NMC chair Jackie Newboul said: ‘In Cathy Graham we could not have asked for a stronger, more experienced and committed successor to Helen Sprott, whose legacy is a national treasure of an organisation which shines far beyond the boundaries of the UK… We look forward to working with her over the coming years to take NMC into its 35th birthday celebrations and beyond.’

Graham joins the label from the British Council, where she held the role of music director since 2007. She stepped down from her role in June 2023. During her 15 years in the role she coordinated global celebrations for the Britten Centenary, set up the World Voice programme (now Sing UP Foundation) and organized the Transform Orchestral Leadership project in collaboration with the Association of British Orchestras (ABO).

Accepting her new role, Graham said: 'I have known NMC Recordings from its very early days in the late eighties and have watched it grow and develop over the years into the impressive organisation it is today, an absolutely vital part of the UK music sector. The breadth of its catalogue, the sheer quality of the music and artists represented, its global reach and the dedication of its excellent team and Board are inspirational and make my role a very special one.’