Seb Huckle

Seb is Executive Director of Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG). He graduated from Manchester with a MusB Music degree in 2012.

On what I do

As Executive Director, I have overall responsibility for the production and delivery of BCMG's artistic and business plans.

I was previously Marketing Manager of BCMG, and now work closely with the Artistic Director to deliver BCMG's artistic projects, and also to make sure the company itself runs smoothly.

BCMG is one of the world's leading ensembles for new music, commissioning and performing dozens of works by internationally renowned composers.

The musicians are of the very highest quality, and we work with some of the finest soloists and performers in the field. Many of them are also full-time performers with the City of Birmingham Symphony.

BCMG work with partners across the UK and the world to bring new music to new audiences, and run a development scheme with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, NEXT, which gives early-career musicians the opportunity to specialise in contemporary performance, learning and performing alongside BCMG musicians.

We perform concerts all over the UK, Europe and the world, and it is my job to ensure everything runs smoothly, from budgeting to artist management, organising rehearsals and managing stakeholder relationships like funders.

I have previously held roles at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and City of London Sinfonia, and I am a trustee of Birmingham Conservation Trust.

On developing skills at Manchester

Manchester made me. As President of the Chorus and Manchester University Music Society (MUMS), I got first-hand experience of what it takes to put on concerts, from ordering the music to acting as stage manager - as well as reaping the rewards of that after-concert buzz!

The University was the perfect environment to cut my teeth in arts administration. I was given a great grounding through the arts admin module, and I was able to directly experience performances of some of the finest musicians in the world through the recitals and concerts at Martin Harris Centre, as well as at the Bridgewater Hall and at RNCM.

I left university with the skills and a very large amount of experience needed to forge a career in orchestral management. Manchester is excellent at giving students responsibility and experience, which is often highlighted to me in how many different Manchester graduates I bump into in my career - The University of Manchester is an astonishingly successful furnace for arts leaders.

I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn’t had such excellent, professional experiences at university. I even used a few examples from my time at Manchester in my interview for Executive Director, such were the opportunities I was afforded.