Creation of a single unified charity to govern the Orchestra through merger of Philharmonia Ltd and the Philharmonia Trust
The Philharmonia’s self-governance model, which is retained with player majority on the Board, is enhanced through incoming expertise from the Philharmonia Trust
The Philharmonia is delighted to welcome Lord King of Lothbury, who will become Chair of the newly constituted merged Board of Trustees during the summer of 2020
New Development Board, chaired by Board member Julia Zilberman, will work with the Philharmonia’s Development team to focus on both near- and longer-term strategic fundraising
Newly announced Chief Executive Alexander Van Ingen will report to the Board and work closely with the Chair and President as the leaders of the organisation
The Philharmonia Orchestra today announces a major restructuring of its governance model, implementing a plan that has been developed over the last two years, following a substantive governance review and consultation with Members of the Orchestra and Trustees of the Philharmonia Trust.
Philharmonia Ltd (the orchestra) and the Philharmonia Trust (the charity which holds the Philharmonia’s endowments) have agreed to merge, following overwhelming ratification by members of both bodies. The changes went into effect on midnight on 31 March 2020. The result is a unified, streamlined structure which enhances the self-governance model that has defined the Orchestra since it became owned by its player members in 1964.
Philharmonia Members will represent a majority of the newly constituted Board, and the elected leader from the player group will now become the President of the Philharmonia. The position of Chair will be held by a non-player. The Chair, President and Chief Executive will be at the core of the Orchestra’s leadership.
From summer 2020, Philharmonia Ltd will be chaired by Lord King of Lothbury, Governor of the Bank of England from 2003 to 2013.
Lord King said “I am deeply honoured to be asked to serve as Chair of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Despite present uncertainties, the future of the Orchestra is bright. With a new management team and a new Principal Conductor I am confident that the Orchestra will scale even greater musical heights.
It will be a daunting task to follow Saul Nathan, and I am very pleased that he has agreed to continue until circumstances permit us all to return to something closer to normal.”
Saul Nathan, Chair of the Philharmonia Trust and inaugural Chair of the Board commented “In partnership with the players, over the last two years we have designed a bespoke model which marries the best elements of self-governance and stewardship. Together with the formation of a new Development Board, these changes will create enduring opportunities for alignment, resilience, diversity and innovation. I want to thank Michael Fuller, Interim Managing Director, and Victoria Irish for their ceaseless endeavour in achieving this excellent outcome.”
Victoria Irish, 1st violin and the first member of the Orchestra to take up the President role, said “A piece of history is being made with the largest structural change in the Philharmonia for over 55 years. I am genuinely proud of, and excited by, the steps we have taken to allow us to preserve our identity as a self-governing orchestra while significantly strengthening our model. I am very excited and pleased to be taking on the new role of player President."
Julia Zilberman, Board member, said “A newly formed Development Board will work closely to support the Development Department to build on strategies for operational and tactical engagement with major donors, corporations, Trusts and Foundations. Bringing the two charities together will allow for an integrated approach to fundraising with singular clarity and purpose.”
From September 2020, the management of the Philharmonia will be led by Alexander Van Ingen, who joins the Orchestra as Chief Executive from Cambridge-based period-instrument orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music, where he has been Chief Executive since 2017. Prior to that he was an Executive Producer and A&R lead at Decca Classics for five years, working with artists including Daniel Barenboim, Nicola Benedetti, Janine Jansen and Leonidas Kavakos.
Alexander Van Ingen said “I am delighted to welcome Lord King as the Philharmonia’s new Chair, bringing with him a wealth of expertise and experience. I'm very pleased to be joining the Philharmonia within a newly aligned, strong structure; and working with an exciting, dynamic new Principal Conductor Designate in Santtu-Matias Rouvali. The challenges of the coronavirus outbreak demonstrate just how important the Philharmonia’s sector-leading digital innovation programmes are: these, along with the Philharmonia’s national footprint, make it a symphony orchestra for the 21st Century.”
The Philharmonia Orchestra is committed to using these governance and leadership changes as a springboard to strengthen its long-term financial and artistic sustainability, and increase the diversity of its board of trustees, membership and workforce.
Joyce Wilson, London Area Director, Arts Council England, said “We are pleased that the Philharmonia Orchestra has completed the merger successfully and look forward to working productively with the new board, chair and CEO.”
Credits:
The Philharmonia is proud to be supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
A registered charity, the Orchestra relies on individual and corporate generosity to deliver its programme.
The Philharmonia’s Principal International Partner is Wuliangye.
Biographies:
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia is a world-class symphony orchestra for the 21st century.
Based in London at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, and with a thriving national and international touring schedule, the Philharmonia creates thrilling performances for a global audience. Through its network of residencies, the Orchestra has a national footprint, serving communities across England both on stage and through its extensive outreach and engagement programme.
Founded in 1945, in part as a recording orchestra for the nascent home audio market, today the Philharmonia uses the latest digital technology to reach new audiences for symphonic music.
The Philharmonia is led by Finnish conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, its Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor since 2008. Fellow Finn Santtu-Matias Rouvali takes over from Salonen as Principal Conductor in the 2021/22 season.
Lord King of Lothbury, KG, GBE, FBA
Mervyn King served as Governor of the Bank of England from 2003 to June 2013. He was previously Deputy Governor from 1998 to 2003, Chief Economist and Executive Director from 1991, and non-executive director of the Bank from 1990 to 1991. He was knighted (GBE) in 2011, made a life peer in 2013, and appointed by The Queen to be a Knight of the Garter in 2014.
Lord King is the Alan Greenspan Professor of Economics and Professor of Law at New York University and Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics.
In 2016 he published The End of Alchemy. With a new preface, it appeared in paperback in 2017, and has been translated into many languages. His new book (with John Kay) on Radical Uncertainty will appear in 2020.
Born in 1948, Mervyn King studied at King’s College, Cambridge, and Harvard (as a Kennedy Scholar) and taught at Cambridge and Birmingham Universities before spells as Visiting Professor at both Harvard University and MIT. From October 1984 he was Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics where he founded the Financial Markets Group.
Mervyn King is a Fellow of the British Academy, an Honorary Fellow of King’s and St John’s Colleges, Cambridge and holds many honorary degrees. He is a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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