Outspoken arts manager quits Askonas Holt

UK artist management loses one of its most respected and effective figures at the close of the year with the departure of Gaetan le Divelec from the Askonas Holt office. The decision to leave Askonas Holt was no rushed affair. ‘This is something that’s been on my mind for two or three years,' Le Divelec told classical-music.uk, 'the idea that I should take the opportunity to do something else in the music industry before I retire. The Covid crisis accelerated that thought process. Given that it became clear the company had to downsize and that I’d been having these thoughts, it seemed right that I should depart and not one or more others who’d be losing their livelihoods.'

Born in Nantes, le Divelec (pictured above) has lived in London since 1986. Studies at the Royal Academy of Music led to a career as a freelance oboist which ended with the 1999 move into artist management. His stable of artists at Askonas Holt has included the likes of Robin Ticciati, Nathalie Stutzmann, Sir Andras Schiff and Amjad Ali Khan.

However, le Divelec’s influence has been felt much further afield. A period on the board of the International Artist Managers’ Association culminated in his astute chairmanship of the association’s groundbreaking 2017 conference in Paris. In addition, le Divelec steered the IAMA broadcast and media committee through choppy waters, especially the thorny rights issues raised by the online world. He has also been in demand around Europe as a speaker and seminar leader.

The priority now is a brief sabbatical in which le Divelec will consider his next challenge. ‘It’s been a long-term aspiration to work on the presenting side of the business, in whatever precise field — especially in an area that involves programming. One option is to work for myself, although generally I enjoy working in a team.’

Might this involve a move abroad? Possibly, depending on what opportunities arise — and le Divelec has never been shy of articulating his discomfort at the 2016 EU referendum result and the general political climate in the UK, not least in relation to the arts. ‘Back in 1986 I came to a country where the arts played a vibrant and dynamic role, where music education was a beacon envied by just about every other European country. The place of the arts here has since become eroded to the point of marginalisation. I’m afraid this has been demonstrated during the Covid crisis. It was shocking to see the level of political and public indifference when concerts halted. But it’s also true, in my view, that the music business hasn’t focused enough on the value it delivers to audiences. There’s been a lack of ambition and adventure — not just in the UK but across the classical music world.’

Praise for le Divelec’s talents from the world of artist management isn’t hard to find. ‘He’s been the complete professional,’ says IAMA deputy chairman, Helen Sykes. ‘He knows his stuff and embodies the high professional standards we all seek to uphold… An unfailingly courteous individual with no hint of vanity.’

IAMA chief executive Atholl Swainston-Harrison sees le Divelec as ‘one of those people you always listen to when they speak. He’s intellectual, committed, rigorous, and always dependable — strong on the characteristics that instil trust within a business which depends so much on personal relationships.’