Roger Wright (music administrator)

Wright was born in Manchester, where he was educated at Chetham's School of Music, and played the cello as a youth. He studied music at Royal Holloway College, University of London, and earned a B.Mus. in 1977. On graduation, he took a sabbatical year, 1977–78, as the elected President of the Student Union.{{cite news|author=Robert Beale |title=Roger's journey to Proms |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/classical_and_opera/s/1058668_rogers_journey_to_proms |work=Manchester Evening News |date=17 July 2008 |accessdate=20 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827200439/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/classical_and_opera/s/1058668_rogers_journey_to_proms |archivedate=27 August 2008 }}

From 1978 to 1986, Wright worked at the British Music Information Centre (BMIC), as librarian and manager, then as director. He served as a senior producer for the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1986 to 1989. He became the artistic administrator of The Cleveland Orchestra in 1989. He left his Cleveland post in 1992 for Deutsche Grammophon (DG), where he became an executive director and vice-president, and worked there until 1997.{{cite news | title=My Life in Media: Roger Wright | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/my-life-in-media-roger-wright-685044.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227094336/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/my-life-in-media-roger-wright-685044.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=27 February 2010 | work=The Independent | date=13 December 2004 | accessdate=20 March 2009}}

In March 1997, Wright took up the newly created BBC post of Head of Classical Music, in charge of the BBC's orchestras, choirs, and bands. In 1998, he became Controller of Radio 3. During his Radio 3 tenure he raised the profile of jazz and world music, causing controversy among listeners.{{cite news | author=Jessica Hodgson | title=Radio 3 suffers drop in listeners | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/may/10/broadcasting.bbc1 | work=The Guardian | date=10 May 2001 | accessdate=20 September 2009}}{{cite news | author=Peter Culshaw | title=The phat controller | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3591579/The-phat-controller.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=22 March 2003 | accessdate=20 March 2009}}{{cite news | author=Charlotte Higgins | title=The Third way | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/nov/06/broadcasting.arts | work=The Guardian | date=6 November 2003 | accessdate=20 September 2009}}{{cite news | author=Stephen Moss | title='These people aren't being rational' | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/may/06/broadcasting.arts | work=The Guardian | date=6 May 2004 | accessdate=20 September 2009}}{{cite news | author=Elisabeth Mahoney | title=Weird and wonderful | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/nov/19/broadcasting.tvandradio | work=The Guardian | date=19 November 2004 | accessdate=20 September 2009}} Other Radio 3 programming changes such as a perceived diminution of live music broadcasts also attracted controversy,{{cite news | author=Charlotte Higgins | title=Don't touch that dial | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/nov/09/radio.bbc | work=The Guardian | date=9 November 2006 | accessdate=20 September 2009}} in addition to a perceived dilution of the level of programming.{{cite news | author=John Plunkett | title=Roger Wright's Radio 3 tenure not without controversy | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/24/roger-wright-radio-3-departure-controversy | work=The Guardian | date=24 March 2014 | accessdate=4 October 2014}} Wright was named Director of the BBC Proms in April 2007{{cite news | author=Ben Dowell | title=Radio 3's Wright to head BBC Proms | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/apr/19/bbc.radio | work=The Guardian | date=19 April 2007 | accessdate=20 September 2009}} and formally took up the post in October 2007, succeeding Nicholas Kenyon. In March 2014, he announced his resignation from the BBC to become chief executive at Aldeburgh Music, effective September 2014.{{cite press release|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/roger-wright.html|title=Roger Wright to leave the BBC|publisher=BBC Media Centre|date=24 March 2014|accessdate=24 March 2014}} When Wright formally stood down as Controller of Radio 3 and of The Proms in July [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/features/proms-2014-why-the-proms-are-losing-their-director-roger-wright-9585305.html 2014], he was the longest serving controller of the station.{{cite news | author=Andrew Clements | title=Start of Proms marks end of Roger Wright's tenure as director | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/17/start-bbc-proms-2014-end-roger-wright-tenure-director | work=The Guardian | date=17 July 2014 | accessdate=4 October 2014}} Roger Wright was CEO of Britten Pears Arts until the end of July 2024 when he left the role after 10 years.{{cite press release |title=Roger Wright to step down as Chief Executive |date=4 July 2023 |publisher=Britten Pears Arts |url=https://brittenpearsarts.org/news/roger-wright |accessdate=2023-07-13}} Britten Pears Arts was established following Aldeburgh Music's merger with Snape Maltings in 2015,{{Cite news|date=2015-03-05|title=Aldeburgh Music to buy Snape Maltings|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-31747008|access-date=2022-01-09}} and Snape Maltings' merger with the Britten-Pears Foundation in 2020.{{Cite web|last=Clarke|first=Andrew|date=2019-03-22|title=Britten’s legacy assured as organisation behind Aldeburgh Festival merges|url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/things-to-do/snape-maltings-and-red-house-merge-to-form-new-company-2561214|access-date=2022-01-09|website=East Anglian Daily Times|language=en-UK}} Britten Pears Arts runs Snape Maltings, The Red House, Aldeburgh, and the Aldeburgh Festival.{{Cite news |last=Fairman |first=Richard |date=2021-12-15 |title=Aldeburgh Festival broadens its horizons with record premieres planned for 2022 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3e5429f2-fff1-4a46-a8bc-a4b2e7514d96 |access-date=2022-01-09 |work=Financial Times}}

In 2023, the Royal Academy of Music announced Wright as an Honorary Fellow.{{Cite web |title=Royal Academy of Music announces its 2023 Honours |url=https://www.ram.ac.uk/news/royal-academy-of-music-announces-2023-honours |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Royal Academy of Music |language=en-GB}} In 2002, Wright was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of Royal Holloway College. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music and a Fellow of the Radio Academy. His publications include the volume New Music 1989, in collaboration with Michael Finnissy.{{fact|date=January 2022}}

He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to music.{{London Gazette|issue=61092|supp=y|page=N10|date=31 December 2014}}[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391413/New_Year_Honours_List_2015.pdf 2015 New Year Honours List] He was knighted in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours "for services to music".{{London Gazette |issue= 64423 |date= 15 June 2024 |page= B2 |supp= y }}

Wright and his wife Rosie, a yoga teacher, have two children, Alice and William.

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/controllers/rogerwright.shtml BBC press biography of Roger Wright]
• [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2007/Mar07/Roger_Wright.htm Ian Lace, "The Roger Wright interview", MusicWeb International, March 2007]
• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/speeches/stories/wrightmusicians.shtml "The Necessity of Re-invention", Speech given by Roger Wright at the Musicians' Benevolent Fund annual luncheon, London, 21 November 2001]
• [http://royal-holloway.com/For-Staff/on-campus/people/awardsDec2001.html "Awards and Achievements", Royal Holloway College, December 2001]
• [http://www.rcm.ac.uk/?pg=734&path=4144 Archived news ("HRH The Prince of Wales visits RCM"), Royal College of Music (web page undated)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141024171034/http://www.radioacademy.org/about/fellows/ Fellows, Radio Academy]

{{BBC directors of music}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:BBC music executives

Category:People associated with the BBC Proms

Category:BBC Radio 3 controllers

Category:Living people

Category:1956 births

Category:Musicians from Manchester

Category:Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Knights Bachelor