Matthew Swann is Director of the BBC Concert Orchestra. He has over 20 years’ experience as a classical music producer, curator and strategist across orchestral, chamber and choral music, creating ground-breaking formats and promoting a participatory and inclusive approach. He was previously co-founder of Your Turn Collective, which was established to empower music creators from diverse backgrounds, led RIAC, a start up charity bringing trustees from diverse backgrounds into the cultural sector, Interim Director of Palmusic, Director of Recruitment and Organisational Change at Achates, and from 2012 to 2021 was Chief Executive of City of London Sinfonia (CLS).

At the BBC Concert Orchestra, he is leading an ensemble which has ground-breaking social impact led projects in Nottingham and Great Yarmouth, and is uniquely versatile in its performances and recordings across all BBC music radio and the Proms, including its weekly Friday Night is Music Night programmes. At City of London Sinfonia, he transformed the orchestra into an audience engaged ensemble, with new and innovative performance formats that grew young, diverse audiences, and was driven by its participation programme that engaged with wider societal issues. Previous to CLS, Matthew was a producer at the Roundhouse in Camden, where he created the Reverb and Voices Now festivals.

He continues to advocate for the benefits that orchestras bring to the healthcare sector, particularly regarding mental wellbeing and social prescribing, through sector wide research programmes.

Meet the rest of the team