ENO partners with AEM to recruit new Musical Director

English National Opera (ENO) has partnered with Arts, Entertainment and Media (AEM) International to appoint the company’s next Musical Director.

The search follows the resignation of former Music Director Martyn Brabbins last year in protest at plans to reduce the organisation’s orchestral staff by more than a third.

Brabbins was the second Music Director to resign over proposed cuts and job losses following Mark Wigglesworth who left his post after less than a year in the role in 2016.

In a statement, Brabbins, who had worked with the opera since October 2016, said he “cannot in all conscience continue to support the board and management’s strategy for the future of the company”.

“This is a plan of managed decline, rather than an attempt to rebuild the company and maintain the world-class artistic output for which ENO is rightly famed,” he said.

ENO said at the time it had to “reevaluate [its] employment levels” following a reduction in funding from Arts Council England.

Recruitment for the role, which will be split between London Coliseum and Greater Manchester, is being handled by AEM International, whose Managing Director, Helen Sprott, was Director of Music at ACE until 2017.

Commenting on classical music news website Slippedisc, the author and broadcaster Norman Lebrecht said: “Choosing a chief conductor usually arises from discussions between the Artistic Director, the board and the musicians. In this case there appear to be no discussions."