British Youth Opera Announces New Chair
By Francisco SalazarJan Younghusband, former head of music television at the BBC, has been appointed chair of the British Youth Opera.
In her new position, Younghusband will bring her experience as head of music and events television at the BBC for 14 years and head of arts at Channel 4 for a decade before that. She started her career at Glyndebourne and worked with Sir Peter Hall at Bayreuth.
She left BBC in 2021 and has freelanced as a producer creating films for cinema, streamers and TV.
In a statement, chief executive Anna Patalong said, “Jan’s appointment marks BYO’s move into new territory. Her dedication to sharing cultural stories in relevant ways makes her the perfect individual to lead our board of trustees as an accessible, youth-driven training organisation.”
Younghusband said, “I have had the great joy and honour to work in opera all my career on stage and screen. I have always been a passionate supporter of our arts sector and I am delighted to be able to support this brilliant organisation which trains and supports the next generation across our industry both in the UK and internationally. The kinds of opportunities that gave me my start in the arts – and specifically in opera – just don’t exist any more, which makes BYO’s mission to widen access to those careers so crucial.”
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