New Chief Executive Officer named at Britten Pears Arts

Britten Pears Arts has announced the appointment of Andrew Comben as its new Chief Executive Officer, with his start date set for September 2024. Andrew comes from Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, where he has served as Chief Executive since 2008. Originally from Australia, he has been working in the UK arts scene since 1993, holding senior leadership roles at Wigmore Hall and Britten Pears Arts.

During his time at Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, Andrew established the annual Guest Director model for the Brighton Festival, collaborating with artists such as Anish Kapoor and Laurie Anderson. He also expanded the organization’s community outreach and youth programs, including overseeing the operation of music education hub Create Music and the redevelopment of performance spaces.

Andrew expressed his excitement for his new role at Britten Pears Arts, highlighting the organization’s legacy and the vision of Britten and Pears as inspirations for his work. Sir Simon Robey, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Britten Pears Arts, praised Andrew’s appointment and his commitment to the arts, community engagement, and youth outreach.

The appointment of Andrew follows an extensive search process and he will be taking over from Roger Wright CBE, who led Britten Pears Arts for 10 years. The board of Britten Pears Arts is looking forward to working with Andrew to shape the organization’s next chapter.