Just 11% of classical music board members are ethnically diverse

Over the past few years, the classical music world has come under fire for heel-dragging on matters of diversity. But, slowly, efforts are being made to recognise and change the ways in which ethnically diverse voices have historically been excluded or misrepresented, and now, many of the industry’s leading venues and organisations claim to place diversity, equality, and inclusivity at the top of the agenda.

The positives outcomes of this can be found across concert programmes and on stage, with audiences now more likely to hear composers and musicians from non-white backgrounds than they were in the past. Earlier this week Kings Place announced its 2021 season, which celebrates the rich multiculturalism of London’s musical landscape. Organisations such as Chineke! have been unwavering in their commitment to championing diversity, and have inspired change across the industry.

However, the representation of BAME members at the top of classical music institutions paints a different picture: of a sample taken from some of the industry’s most prominent organisations, the average board comprises just 11% non-white directors. 

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is one of the UK’s leading orchestras, and regularly represents the country on the global stage. However, there are currently no BAME members on its board. A spokesperson for the LSO stated that ‘we are completing the final draft of a major Diversity, Equality and Inclusion action plan, which includes targets for the board.’

The picture is similar at the Royal Opera House, whose board is currently just over 11% ethnically diverse. Chief executive Alex Beard said that the company ‘remains committed to building a diverse board that reflects the societal mix of all protected characteristics’.

A spokesperson for the Southbank Centre described the company’s board as ‘one of the most diverse in the arts sector’ – but even here just 21% of the board comprises governors from BAME backgrounds.

At Opera North, one the company's 11 directors is from a minority ethnic background. General director Richard Mantle commented: 'We are not yet as diverse at this level as we aspire to be, and this is a priority as we work to recruit future trustees.'

Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra has recently appointed a new BAME director, Sharon Amesu, bringing the overall representation of ethnic minorities on its board to 15%.

Chief executive David Butcher said that the organisation was in the process of reviewing all its diversity and inclusion and equality policies. He continued: ‘Although Sharon [Amesu] is new, as am I, we’re going to be leading the charge, and she’ll be very helpful in terms of championing this within the Hallé’s work.’

He added: ‘It's about setting targets. If you’re fully inclusive and represented right across the board … you get more innovation right across the company.’

Butcher’s words chime with evidence for the improved performance of companies with greater diversity at the top levels. According to a report by Arts Council England, ‘including the contributions of people with different skills, backgrounds and experience creates solutions to problems from a greater range of perspectives.’ The Parker review, which has been responsible for promoting greater diversity in the boardrooms of FTSE 100 firms, points out that successful companies ‘reflect the values of their stakeholders (including employees, shareholders and the communities in which they sit) and also project those values externally (including to the consumers they are seeking to attract and the markets in which they operate).’

In 2017, the Parker review, also known as ‘Beyond One by 2021’, gave FTSE 100 firms four years to appoint at least one non-white board-level director. The same target was set for the FTSE 250 but with a deadline of 2024. By 2020, only just over half of FTSE 250 firms had reached that goal.

The poor performance of these companies opens up space for classical music to prove its commitment to diversity, says David Butcher. ‘I think, without sounding self-satisfied, as an industry we can lead the way here,’ he says. ‘The economic wealth the music industry brings is huge – and so is the example we can set.’