Cathy Graham

Director Music, British Council (Chair)

www.britishcouncil.org/arts-music.htm

After gaining a B Mus at Birmingham University, Cathy Graham spent two years at the RNCM studying piano accompaniment. Fourteen years in Stockholm included work as a teacher, vocal coach and repetiteur with opera and theatre companies. Returning to the UK in 1992 Cathy quickly established herself on the London music scene, working for ENO Contemporary Music Studio and Almeida Opera, and as an Artists' Manager. In 1994 she became Executive Director of the spnm, guiding organisational change, and her tenure culminated in the spnm receiving the Prudential Award for the Arts. From 1997-2006 she was Managing Director of the London Sinfonietta, during which time the ensemble toured extensively nationally and internationally, and seen its repertoire, profile and audience broaden and increase. She also initiated and oversaw the ensemble's own record label, and lead on the move to a new multi-purpose venue at Kings Cross which will act as a permanent home alongside the ensemble's South Bank Centre residency.

Since November 2006 she has been Director Music at the British Council, leading and managing the organisation’s global music programme with an emphasis on broadening and building international audiences – particularly amongst young adults – for new and innovative work from Britain.

She is a board member of ABO, NMC and the Kings Place Music Foundation. Interests outside of music include theatre, architecture and walking.

[top]

Janine Irons MBE

Managing Director/CEO, Tomorrow’s Warriors Ltd & The Dune Music Company Ltd.

www.dune-music.com   www.tomorrowswarriors.org

Janine trained as a classical pianist but later studied dance and photography. She worked for 13 years, first as a PA for a major classical music publisher and an international bank, then as a Systems & Premises Manager for an international trading company. In 1994, she left her City job to become a freelance photographer/ journalist but hooked up with jazz double bassist, Gary Crosby which led her into her current role.

Gary and Janine established Crosby Irons Associates Ltd (1996 – which later became The Dune Music Company Ltd) – an artist management, record label and music publishing company – and Tomorrow’s Warriors Ltd (1998) – a youth music education and professional artist development company. Both companies specialise in jazz/jazz crossover music and have become widely recognised as leaders in their respective fields, winning over 20 music awards in the process including two nominations for the Mercury Music Prize.

Janine was nominated for a European Federation of Black Women Business Owners (EFBWO) Award in 1999, which recognises and celebrates the achievements of Black businesswomen.

In June 2006, Janine received public recognition for her work when she was awarded an MBE for Services To The Music Industry in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

[top]

Jon McIldowie

Operations Manager, Barfly Group

www.barflyclub.com   www.escapegreat.com

Jon has been promoting gigs and clubs since the age of 16, first in his home town of Birmingham and then as a student in Liverpool before moving to London. In 1999 Jon joined the Barfly Club as assistant and then head promoter for the London venue. During this time he booked acts such as The Cure, Hot Hot Heat, The Darkness and Franz Ferdinand. The Barfly Group now book and promote more events (gigs and clubs) than any other live music promotions company in the UK - totalling over 200 events per month; more than 6500 acts per year and 400,000+ tickets annually.

Jon has now moved in to the position of Operations Manger for the Barfly Group. His job now encompasses tour bookings as well as developing initiatives with media partners such as MTV and Kerrang! (the UK's largest rock magazine) and commerical sponsors such as Levis and Virgin Mobile.

In 2006 Jon jointly founded Barfly – The Great Escape Festival, Europe's main international showcase event & convention, held annually in Brighton, UK. By day this is a series of insightful interviews with leading figures from the music industry; by night, a festival of the very best new artists from across the globe, with over 150 bands playing 20 different venues and all within a short walk of each other.

[top]

Chris Morrison

Managing Director, CMO Management

www.cmomanagement.co.uk

CMO Management and Chris Morrison have been in the music management business for over thirty years. The company continues to adapt to the ever changing industry over time but the core strengths and ethos remain the same. CMO is first and foremost an Artist led management company putting our passion, belief and business acumen behind the strength of the Artist. In 2001 Chris was awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award (Peter Grant Award) at the annual MMF Awards and inducted into the MMF British Music Roll of Honour.

Chris Morrison signed his first artist – Thin Lizzy for management in 1972. He Managed Thin Lizzy for the duration of their career during which time they released fourteen albums, many compilation albums and sold in excess of fifteen million records. CMO continued to manage Phil Lynott as a solo artist until his untimely death in 1986 and until recently CMO managed the Thin Lizzy catalogue.

Since the beginning CMO have always had major artistic and commercial success in each decade representing the best in cutting edge music at that time whether with Thin Lizzy and John Cale in the 1970’s or with Ultravox and Visage at the vanguard of the new wave/new romantic movement in the early 1980’s. By the late 1980’s CMO were managing Dead or Alive, The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Beloved. Through the 1990’s it has been Blur, Elastica, Gorillaz, Morcheeba and Turin Brakes. We have had gold and or platinum success in the States with Thin Lizzy, Dead or Alive, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Elastica, Blur and Gorillaz.

Chris became a founding Band Aid Trustee in 1984 together with Midge Ure, Harvey Goldsmith, John Kennedy, Bob Geldof and Michael Grade. His work as a Trustee continues to this day and Chris and CMO co-ordinated the Band Aid 20 single in 2004 which sold over 1.1 million copies in the UK.

[top]