Thea graduated from her MA in Art History at UCL in 2021, and has since worked between the Arts and charities, developing her skills within fundraising and events. Currently working in the High Value Fundraising Events team at Cancer Research UK, she has previously worked at places including York Museum Trust, the Holburne Museum and York Mediale and published in art magazines such as Unknown Magazine.

Matthew studied clarinet and musicology at the University of Birmingham UK and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music USA before going on to a career as an assistant director for opera productions in the UK, Germany and Italy. Post Covid, Matthew transitioned into music publishing and is now part of the contemporary music team at Schott Music, promoting the repertoire and commissions of the world’s leading composers.

Millie graduated from the University of Leeds where she studied BA Fine Art. She is a projection artist, working in animation, projection mapping and installation. Whilst at university she co-founded a female Leeds-based collective called Ladies Lovin. Millie now works at the ICA as their accessibility coordinator

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Alessia graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2019 with a degree in Musical Theatre Performance. Upon graduating, she began to explore her enthusiasm for providing arts opportunities and experiences to others through fundraising; firstly working at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, before joining the Temple Music Foundation as Events and Relationships Assistant in 2020. Alessia is now Memberships Manager at the London Symphony Orchestra, where she commutes by boat each morning down the River Thames. In her spare time, Alessia may get her tap shoes out every now and again, but a lot of her time is spent walking through Greenwich Park with a coffee using her Pret membership!

Membership & Supporter Events Manager, British Museum

Holly is a Membership Database Officer at the Natural History Museum. She is responsible for the administration of the membership scheme, management and analysis of Membership and Supporter Engagement data. She previously worked at the Audience Agency, an organisation that helps the arts and cultural sector to build reach, relevance and resilience. On their national audience data and development toolkit, Audience Finder. In 2017 she graduated from the University of Chester with a First-Class Honours degree in Events Management. This is where she developed her passion for youth engagement and the arts; through volunteering and undertaking research into this field. She was previously a Peer Researcher for Young Women's Trust. As well as a member of the Kids in Museums Youth Panel and Almeida Theatre Youth Board. Currently she volunteers as an Events Assistant for Mousetrap Theatre Projects and is on the Chartered Institute of Fundraising's Insight Group committee.

Charlotte graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with an MA in Arts Management. She is currently Event Coordinator at the Royal Albert Hall and previously worked at the Royal College of Music, the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Storyhouse, and in the production team for BBC Young Musician 2020. In her spare time, Charlotte is a keen brass bander and plays tenor horn.

Nora graduated from University of Applied Science FH-Krems and University of Kent with degrees in Tourism and Marketing. During her studies in Canterbury at the University of Kent she worked part-time at the Arts Center Gulbenkian, supporting marketing campaigns across theatre, film and music productions. As part of the student society Gulbenkian Uncovered Nora was involved in creating a live event series, increasing student engagement with the Arts centre. Nora now works at Bertha DocHouse, UK's first cinema solely dedicated to documentaries, as Operations and Partnerships Manager. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new recipes, exploring London and its theatres.

Stella Toonen is an arts programmer and the director of Culture Within Newham, a community arts programme in East London. She is also a researcher with a PhD in community engagement and co-creation practices, which she did in collaboration with Tate Modern, the Whitworth, and Queens Museum. Stella is interested in bringing artists, organisations and audiences together to collaborate and find new ways of engaging people with art. The programmes she shapes often feature place-based, participatory and socially-engaged ways of working. Her background is as an exhibition and public programmes producer for museums and arts spaces and has worked with the British Museum, V&A, Imperial War Museums, Museum of London, and King's College London's gallery in Somerset House.

Katya read English at the University of Cambridge, where she was a Choral Scholar - and where her interest in arts administration first took root. After traineeships at Philharmonia Orchestra and Askonas Holt, she went on to work in administrative positions at English National Opera and the National Opera Studio. In 2019, she joined HarrisonParrott as an Artist and Project Manager, and now oversees an eclectic roster of musicians including conductors, instrumentalists - and a coloratura soprano. Katya was a YPIA Director from 2014-2018, helping to oversee four seasons of talks, workshops and networking events, launching satellite groups in a number of cities outside of London and representing YPIA at events including the Women in the Creative Industries Day (WOW Festival, SBC) and "Making It: Careers in Art and Design" at the V&A. In her spare time, and when she's not at concerts, Katya enjoys pilates and barre, and taking her two-year-old to dance and swimming classes.

Imogen graduated with a Music and Maths degree from the University of Leeds. She completed internships with Chamber Orchestra of Europe and management agency Konzertdirektion Schmid before working for Hazard Chase as an Artist Manager. She is now Director and Artist Manager at James Brown Management. A keen clarinettist and pianist she enjoys both participating in and attending concerts. Outside of music she is a keen traveller and sports fan, even playing rugby occasionally.

Nicki graduated in music from the University of Birmingham in 2004. After a six-month internship with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment she took up a position with artist management company Sulivan Sweetland. In October 2008 she joined Ingpen & Williams as an artist manager looking after around 20 international singers, conductors and instrumentalists as well as working closely with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in the UK. In 2012 she participated in the Clore Emerging Leaders course and in the same year was interviewed and selected by Musical America as a rising star of the performing arts business. Nicki is a founding member and director of Young People In the Arts, a networking organisation for those at the earlier stages of their careers in the arts for which she now sits on the board. Since 2016 Nicki chairs the Broadcasting and Media committee for the International Artists Managers’ Association. In September 2016 Nicki joined Maxine Robertson Management where she manages a list of international singers, conductors as well as the opera director Barrie Kosky.

Yasmin works as Programmes Manager at Creative Access, delivering initiatives designed to maximise people’s skills and support career progression within the creative sector. After studying Music at the Unievrsity of Oxford she started her career in 2014 as an intern at the London Symphony Orchestra, and has since worked within the education teams at the Barbican Centre, Philharmonia Orchestra and English National Opera. Yasmin joined the YPIA committee in 2016 and served as Director of Planning from 2018-2021, subsequently becoming an Advisory Board Member.

Esther finished at Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2014 graduating with a Music degree. After training at management agency Music Productions she joined the London Symphony Orchestra's education and outreach department in 2015 as an Assistant, and continued at the LSO as Fees Coordinator. She now works at Tenebrae Choir as Concerts and Marketing Manager. In her spare time Esther sings at St-Martin-in-the-Fields and enjoys cooking, reading and the occasional long run.

Rebecca read Music at Royal Holloway, University of London. She is a Senior PR Manager in the Classical Music department of Premier Communications and is also a Trustee of the Brass septet Septura.

Kate Jones graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2014 with a degree in music. After graduating, Kate has worked at Welsh National Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the London Symphony Orchestra. She now works at the Royal Albert Hall in the Programming team and is a keen amateur double bass player.

Grace is the Development Manager at the Three Choirs Festival, responsible for managing multiple fundraising streams, including Individual Giving, Corporate and Public, and cultivating support for the 300-year-old, annual, week-long music festival, which is held in the cities of Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester in rotation. Grace’s career to date has seen her work in a variety of different areas within the arts including event and concert production at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cheltenham Town Hall and Pitville Pump Room, Marketing and Administration at the Royal Philharmonic Society as well as Freelance Arts Management for clients including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Askonas Holt, Sinfonia Cymru, Peasemarsh Festival and leading arts consultants. Highlights include producing concerts in a variety of inspiring venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. Grace joined the YPIA team in May 2018 as an Assistant Project Manager.

Shannon studied at the University of South Wales, graduating with a BA(Hons) in Animation. She went on to pursue a career in arts administration and has worked for Chineke!, the Royal Philharmonic Society and Hertfordshire Music Service. Shannon is an amateur double bassist, playing frequently across Hertfordshire and London.

Tessa graduated from the University of Bristol with a BA (hons) in German and Italian in 2018 and is now a Campaigns Manager at Riot Communications, specialising in culture and entertainment PR. Her clients include a wide variety of artists, authors and cultural institutions. She was previously a publicist at Premier for three years, working in the classical music department. Tessa joined the YPIA team in 2019 as an Assistant Project Manager, and is thrilled to be taking on a directorial position for 2022.

Angharad graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a degree in Music in 2018. She then continued her studies, gaining a Master's Degree in Arts Management. During her MA she worked with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, CBSO and Sistema Europe. Whilst completing her MA she started a role within the concerts department at the London Symphony Orchestra. Angharad currently works as a Marketing Officer for Insole Court in Cardiff as well as being a freelance arts marketer. In her spare time Angharad enjoys long distance running, baking and drinking lots of coffee!

Nicky is an executive, leadership, career and team coach an ICF accredited coach trainer & mentor and EMCC accredited coach supervisor. She supports C-Suite executives, teams, senior leaders and future leaders, organisations and coaches to improve their performance, fulfil their potential and find their own authentic style of confident leadership and potential and/or transition into the roles and careers they’ve always dreamed of. She has been running her own coaching practice since 2013. She is trained in The Neuroscience of Change and takes pride in utilising an insightful and evidence-based approach. She coaches across a variety of industries including Management Consulting, Professional Services, Global Tech Corporations, FMCG, the Cultural and Creative Industries, entrepreneurs and leaders within the non-profit sector.