Roger Wright, Controller of BBC Radio 3 and Director the BBC Proms, has just been appointed Chief Executive of Aldeburgh Music, a post he takes up in September.

After 15 years heading up Radio 3 and seven in charge of the Proms, Wright, 57, succeeds Jonathan Reekie who has developed Aldeburgh Music into what is virtually a music campus in the Suffolk town.

Wright said that 'It is a huge honour to be asked to lead Aldeburgh Music in this next period of its development, following the highly successful celebration of the Britten centenary. I look forward to working in such a unique environment with its distinguished heritage, and in an organisation so committed to education and high quality music making.'

Tony Hall, Director General of the BBC said that Wright 'has been a fantastic champion of classical music across the BBC and has raised the profile of the Proms every year. We wish him well at Aldeburgh Music and will be looking to build on his achievements at Radio 3 and the Proms.' Helen Boaden, the Director of BBC Radio, commented 'Roger is a unique and brilliant talent…He has displayed an unwavering commitment to quality, courage in introducing new kinds of music and developing exciting collaborations, and massive ambition on behalf of audiences. He has driven the distinctiveness of Radio 3 by developing a unique blend of music and speech programming, and creating special events like the Free Thinking Festival. He is one of a kind and we are going to miss him hugely but wish him every success in his wonderful new job.'

Prior to joining Radio 3 as Controller in 1998, Roger Wright worked at the British Music Information Centre, as a Senior Producer of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as Artistic Administrator of the Cleveland Orchestra and as A&R Vice President at Deutsche Grammophon. 

Aldeburgh Music runs the festival founded by Benjamin Britten in 1948 in the Suffolk coastal town before establishing its main home just inland at Snape in 1967. Though the annual Aldeburgh Festival remains the organisation’s flagship event, performances and projects take place year-round, with a strong emphasis on nurturing new and developing artists. Much of this growth took place under Reekie's leadership, which included, in 2009, the development of redundant Maltings buildings at Snape into new performance and rehearsal spaces. Most recently, he led Aldeburgh Music through the Britten centenary celebrations, including an ambitious staging of Peter Grimes on the beach, and the recent weekend of events in Aldeburgh and the surrounding area to mark the centenary itself.