British Youth Opera appoints new chair
Portsmouth’s Jan Younghusband, who oversaw music TV programming for the BBC, including The Proms and Glastonbury, has been appointed the new Chair of British Youth Opera.
Jan, who is originally from Portsmouth, will join Chief Executive Anna Patalong, who is a world-renowned soprano, at the top of the organisation. Building on recent productions of Peter Grimes and The Rape of Lucretia, BYO will continue to bring great operatic works of art to new audiences and in new formats, whilst simultaneously helping shape it for the future and support more young people into opera.
Jan, who was also Head of Arts at Channel 4 for a decade, has always had a deep affection for opera having started her career in opera production at Glyndebourne and later worked with Sir Peter Hall on his opera productions including The Ring in Bayreuth.
In TV she has commissioned three new operas for the screen as TV dramas and made eight opera films.She more recently produced the new Andrea Bocelli film – Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe supported by Lionsgate and released by Trafalgar in cinemas from September 21.
Jan said: “I have had the great joy and honour to work in opera all my career on stage and screen. I have always been a passionate supporter of our arts sector and I am delighted to be able to support this brilliant organisation British Youth Opera which trains and supports the next generation of great artists and talent across our industry both in the UK and internationally.
“The kinds of opportunities that gave me my start in the arts and specifically in opera just don’t exist anymore, which makes BYO’s mission to widen access to those careers so crucial.”
Jan commissioned at the BBC as Head of Music and Events for 14 years and saw her bring some of the most popular returning events and shows to the masses including Glastonbury, The Proms, Later… with Jools Holland, and TV events such as BBC One Rocks, New Year’s Eve, Radio 1 Big Weekend, BBC One artist specials including Adele, Harry Styles, Michael Buble and Paul McCartney. Large scale global TV events including One Love Manchester (Ariana Grande), Global Citizen Live and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The classic BBC Four Fridy Night of Music documentaries and performance, alongside theatrical feature documentaries on BBC Two. My Classical Century was a 12 month bringing together of all the BBC Music classical services celebrating the great classical achievements of the last 100 years.
Throughout her career Jan has been committed to creativity, innovation, diversity in all its forms, bringing new talent to the screen including Grayson Perry, Clara Amfo, Clive Myrie in classical and Katie Derham to The Proms.
As Head of Arts for Channel 4 she was responsible for bringing opera to the masses with the first arts reality seriesOperatunity and also supported the debuts of new screen talent including Steve McQueen’s directing debut in Hunger.
Jan is also a multi award-winning TV and film producer, her commissions winning many awards including an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film Peter and the Wolf in 2008 and Best Film BAFTA for Hunger in 2008.
Now as an independent producer, Jan is concentrating on passion projects for streamers and cinema having just produced a new feature film to mark Andrea Bocelli’s 30thanniversary – Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe feature documentary directed by Cosima Spender for Lionsgate. She is also a visiting Professor of Music Business at Jesus College Oxford.
Chief Executive of BYO, Anna Patalong, said: “Jan’s appointment marks BYO’s move into new territory, her vastexperience, passion and dedication to sharing cultural stories in relevant ways makes her the perfect individual to lead our board of trustees as an accessible, youth-driven training organisation. It’s an exciting time for us as we help determine what the opera world looks like for the next generation.”
Jan will formally take over from BYO’s chair of more than a decade, Sir Richard Greenhalgh, from 28 July.