Marie Le Sourd (On the Move), Maria Hansen (ELIA), and Rarița Zbranca (Cluj Cultural Centre) have been appointed to the Executive Committee of Culture Action Europe following the 2025 Annual General Assembly. They join re-elected members Leanne Hoogwaerts (Kunsten ’92), Mateja Lazar (Motovila), and Rocío Nogales-Muriel (Smart Ibérica), alongside continuing members Alessandra Gariboldi (Fondazione Fitzcarraldo), Katharina Weinert (European Music Council), Julie Ward, Celia Grau (Opera Europa), and Paul Dujardin (European Festivals Association).
Dame Kathryn McDowell will step down as Managing Director of the London Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2025–26 season, concluding a 21-year tenure. Appointed in 2005, McDowell has overseen a period of significant artistic and organisational growth, shaping the orchestra’s global profile through major touring projects, high-profile artistic partnerships and a strengthened recording and digital presence via LSO Live. She has played a pivotal role in the development of LSO Discovery, the orchestra’s flagship education and community programme, and has been instrumental in expanding its funding base and endowment.
Sinfonia Smith Square has appointed Toby Chadd as its new Artistic Director. A prominent figure in the international music scene, Chadd will oversee the artistic direction of the organisation’s orchestral training programme and the annual concert and festival season at Smith Square Hall in London. His previous roles include leading the artistic programme of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and revitalising live music at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In addition to shaping Sinfonia Smith Square’s programming, Chadd will support the delivery of its Doors Open project, a major restoration and transformation of Smith Square Hall, recently placed on the England’s Heritage at Risk Register.
Olivia Brown has launched Stay Tuned, a new PR and communications agency supporting bold artists and cultural organisations. Founded in 2025, the agency works with musicians, composers, festivals and institutions to shape imaginative campaigns rooted in purpose and storytelling. Early clients include Three Choirs Festival, Music at Oxford, Donne Foundation, Anna Phoebe, Lucas Krupinski, and Beatrice Nicholas. Brown was previously Managing Director of WildKat, where she led international expansion and strategic growth from 2020 to 2025, following a 13-year tenure at the company. She also sits on the board of trustees at Streetwise Opera.
