Julian Lloyd Webber has been appointed the new Principal of the Birmingham Conservatoire, succeeding David Saint who retires in April. Lloyd Webber has been a prominent advocate for music education and has frequently appeared on radio and TV, and in print, as a spokesman for the cause.

The Conservatoire is currently building a new £46 million home in Birmingham's city centre. Commenting on the appointment, Lloyd Webber said, 'I am honoured and thrilled to be chosen as the new Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire. The state-of-the-art facilities being built within Birmingham City University’s superb campus will be second to none and superior to many, both throughout the UK and beyond. I am especially excited about the fantastic opportunities that will be on offer to our students.'

Lloyd Webber, who had to stop playing the cello publicly in 2014 due to a herniated disc in his neck, has recently launched a career as a conductor and has released a disc with the ECO on Naxos.