Skinner to head up new team at NYJO

SUSIE YORK SKINNER will join the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) as Chief Executive on 1 July, replacing NIGEL TULLY who will continue as Chair of the NYJO Board.

Skinner, who joins from a Director of Development role at the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, previously held Development and CEO roles with Gabrieli.

Her appointment is part of wider NYJO plans that will see the organisation move into its first permanent home, Woolwich Works, later this year. From this new base it is launching Academy LDN, a weekly training programme for young musicians, led by a new team of Music Directors.

WINSTON CLIFFORD, professor of drums at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Birmingham University, will join as Advanced MD; Berklee trained drummer JAS KAYSER will take on the role of Intermediate MD; SEBASTIAAN DE KROM, drummer in Jamie Cullum’s band and professor at Leeds College of Music, will be the academy’s Big Band MD; and jazz and soul singer HELENA DEBONO becomes Vocal Coach.

Writer and producer BYRON WALLEN, has been appointed Creative Ensemble MD in partnership with the Royal London Borough of Greenwich.