BBC Radio 3’s new Controller has been named as Alan Davey. He succeeds Roger Wright, who stepped down from the role this summer after 15 years in the post to become Chief Executive of Aldeburgh Music. 

Davey, 53, is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Arts Council England, a post he has held since 2007. He will take up the Radio 3 role, which also includes being in charge of the BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers, in January. 

Davey said ‘it is an honour to be asked to lead this wonderful institution and to renew it for the digital age, helping new audiences to encounter the wonderful things serious music and culture can bring. I stumbled upon Radio 3 when I was a teenager, and it opened a door to an endlessly fascinating world of sound and thought that has nourished me ever since. I want everyone to have that chance and am proud to be able to make sure they will.’

Unlike Wright, and his predecessor Nicholas Kenyon, who had both followed classical music-specific paths prior to their appointments, Davey's senior posts have been in overarching general arts roles – prior to the Arts Council, he was Director for Culture at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 

Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, described Davey as having a ‘formidable track record in the arts and a depth of understanding only matched by his passion for classical music.’