Adam Szabo to step down as Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Manchester Collective
Adam Szabo. Photo: Phil Sharp
Adam Szabo has today announced that he will step down as Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Manchester Collective, the organisation he co-founded with Rakhi Singh, in January 2024 to become Director of the BBC Philharmonic.
A personal statement from Adam can be read here.
Rakhi Singh, co-founder and Music Director of Manchester Collective, says: “Adam and I have been on an amazing journey together since we founded the Collective in 2016. I'm really proud of what we have created and, with the support of our team, all that we have achieved. I'm delighted for Adam and his new adventure and know he will do brilliant things in his new role at the BBC Philharmonic. There are exciting times ahead for the Collective as we continue to explore what it means to be an artistic organisation in today's world and to create radical human experiences, inspired by the music that we love.”
Helen Gilman, Chair of Manchester Collective’s Board of Trustees, says: “We’re so grateful to Adam for his incredible leadership of the Collective over the last seven years. He has worked with Rakhi and the Manchester Collective team to create a powerful and dynamic force in the musical landscape of the UK. We are delighted to announce that Linda Begbie, our Deputy CEO has been appointed interim CEO to steer us through the next phase, building on our core values and further developing our artistic output and audience engagement. In the meantime, we wish Adam huge success in his new role with the BBC Philharmonic.”
Adam Szabo has served as the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Manchester Collective since co-founding the organisation with violinist and Music Director Rakhi Singh in 2016.
The Collective’s vision is to reshape the future of classical music by creating radical artistic work from their base in the north of England. Renowned for their experimental programming, daring collaborations and engaging performances, the Collective has expanded at breakneck speed since their formation. They play in concert halls, warehouses and at festivals around the world, performing a combination of cutting-edge contemporary music, classical masterpieces, and staged work to a hungry, new audience.
Notable projects include Sirocco and The Oracle with South African cellist Abel Selaocoe, performances at the BBC Proms in 2021 and 2023, a full-scale production of Benjamin Britten’s much-loved community opera, Noah’s Flood, as part of LEEDS 2023 and Manchester International Festival 2023, and a multimedia performance of Michael Gordon’s ‘Weather’ with an installation by sound recordist Chris Watson.
The work of the Collective has been recognised at the highest level – most recently by the Royal Philharmonic Society, who named them 'Best Ensemble' in 2023, and by Arts Council England, who welcomed Manchester Collective into their 2023-2026 National Portfolio. They are resident artists at the Southbank Centre in London, and record for the Icelandic label Bedroom Community.