Association of British Orchestras

News & Press

Alan Davey CBE, Controller, BBC Radio 3, Honoured at the Association of British Orchestras Awards 2023

As the Association of British Orchestras Conference kicks off in Leeds, the industry body has announced Alan Davey CBE, Controller, BBC Radio 3 as the recipient of its prestigious annual ABO Award. Davey was recognised for his championing of orchestral music, and his nurturing of the BBC’s orchestras as part of the wider ecology of the UK orchestral scene, that has benefitted the whole sector. Announced at a live event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on the evening of Wednesday 1 February, the award ceremony also revealed the winners of the 2023 ABO/Classical Music Awards, celebrating the achievements of colleagues across the sector through nominations by their peers, and were presented with ABO Media Partner Classical Music and ABO Principal Media Partner Classic FM. The event was hosted by ABO Interim Chair and Scottish Ensemble Chief Executive Jenny Jamison and Classic FM presenter Anne-Marie Minhall.

ABO announces participants for 2022-23 ‘Find Your Way’ leadership programme with support from the ABO Trust

Find Your Way is a transformative professional development programme for senior and emerging managers, and musicians in orchestras and classical music organisations who aspire to leadership.

ABO and music sector welcome CoP19 decision on pernambuco wood

The ABO, Independent Society of Musicians, Musicians’ Union and UK Music have welcomed a decision not to place crippling new CITES restrictions on pernambuco bows for musical instruments.

Presenting the 2022 ABO RPS Orchestra Musician Award

We are pleased to join forces with the Royal Philharmonic Society to present the 2022 ABO RPS Orchestra Musician Award to BBC NOW Percussionist Chris Stock.

ABO calls on Chancellor Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP for sector support following ACE 2023/26 NPO announcement

Ahead of this week’s forthcoming Autumn Statement, and following Arts Council England’s (ACE) recent decision to disinvest in some classical music organisations, the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) has today called on Chancellor Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP to put in place the measures needed to support the UK’s thriving, diverse and innovative orchestral sector.

ABO Responds to Arts Council England’s National Portfolio 2023-26 Announcement

Today, the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) acknowledges the difficult decisions that were made in Arts Council England’s (ACE) National Portfolio 2023-26 and the continued investment in the UK’s classical music sector and our member orchestras.

ABO Responds to Arts Council England’s delivery plan for Creative Health and Wellbeing

The ABO, as part of the Orchestras in Healthcare and NHS National Performance Advisory Group (NPAG) for Art, Design and Heritage, has responded to Arts Council England’s (ACE) recently published delivery plan for Creative Health and Wellbeing.

ABO Announces 2021/22 Round of ‘Sirens’ Grants to Promote Music of Historical Women

The ABO has announced the sixth round of grants from the Sirens Fund awarded to orchestras performing music by historic women composers from around the world.

Related information

For press enquiries please contact Hanna, ABO's Head of Policy and Communications.

View the ABO Bulletins

Annual Conference

The next ABO conference will take place in Gateshead,
hosted by The Glasshouse ICM, from 5-7 February 2025.