10 Music Leaders Building Manchester's Music Scene

Last updated: 6 August 2026.

Manchester's music scene is shaped by much more than the people on stage. It depends on artistic direction, artist development, venues, education, public investment, broadcasting, community work and the quiet decisions that help good ideas reach an audience. That is why this list looks across the wider music ecosystem rather than focusing on one genre or one type of organisation.

There is no single job title that makes someone a music leader. Some people lead major institutions. Some create the conditions for new artists to grow. Others connect civic culture, audiences and the industry. What they share is a current role and a clear connection to Manchester's music life.

Why music leadership matters in Manchester.

Manchester Music City brings together venues, festivals, promoters, booking agents, labels, managers, educators, charities, industry bodies, artists and producers. Its work reflects something important about the city: music is not a side project. It is part of Manchester's identity, economy and social life.

Good music leadership holds that wider system together. It makes space for talent, protects quality, invites new audiences and turns partnerships into something people can feel. It also asks practical questions. Who gets a chance? What does a sustainable career look like? How can a large institution stay connected to its city? How can a new idea move from a rehearsal room into public life?

The ten people below show different answers to those questions. They are not presented as a ranking. They are a useful starting point for anyone who wants to understand the people building Manchester's music scene now.

1. David Butcher, Hallé Concerts Society.

David Butcher is Chief Executive of the Hallé Concerts Society. His role sits at the centre of one of Manchester's best-known musical institutions, where executive leadership has to connect artistic ambition with audiences, partnerships and the practical work of running a major concert organisation. The Hallé's current season material introduces Butcher in that role while setting out a programme of soloists and conductors coming to Manchester. That combination of continuity and renewal is an important part of cultural leadership: keep the institution strong while giving audiences reasons to return. Read the Hallé's current season announcement and connect with David Butcher on LinkedIn.

2. Damian Morgan, Royal Northern College of Music.

Damian Morgan is Artist Development Specialist at the Royal Northern College of Music. His work connects students and emerging artists with the wider music industry, while his background spans more than three decades across music and higher education. He has held leadership roles across specialist music education and continues to work with artists, educators and industry partners. That makes his contribution especially practical. Talent needs more than a platform. It needs informed guidance, useful connections and people who understand how the creative and commercial sides of music meet. Read Damian Morgan's RNCM profile and connect with him on LinkedIn.

3. Dave Moutrey, Manchester City Council.

Dave Moutrey is Director of Culture and Creative Industries for Manchester City Council. His work represents the civic side of Manchester's music leadership, where cultural identity, creative industries and public value come together. Manchester Music City's own network describes the city as a place where music is central to its economy, society and identity. Civic leadership matters because a healthy music ecosystem needs more than individual success. It needs places, policy, partnership and long-term attention. Moutrey's role is a reminder that music leadership also happens inside the systems that support a city to make, hear and share culture. Read about Manchester Music City's network and connect with Dave Moutrey on LinkedIn.

4. Jenna G, Running With Wolves LTD.

Jenna G is a recording artist, DJ, radio presenter and creative producer connected with Running With Wolves LTD. Her work shows how music leadership can be both personal and organisational. She creates, performs, presents and produces, moving between the stage, the airwaves and the wider creative process. Manchester Music City featured Jenna G as the artistic director of the WOMEX 2024 opening concert, a role that placed her perspective at the front of a major city music moment. Her example is useful for anyone thinking about leadership as creative direction, not just a formal title. Read about Jenna G's WOMEX role and connect with her on LinkedIn.

5. Karen Gabay, Manchester Music City.

Karen Gabay is a broadcaster, TV producer, podcast host and producer. Her work sits across music, popular culture and Manchester history, giving her a perspective that is both media-facing and deeply connected to place. The current Manchester Music City partners page describes that mix of roles, while the Greater Manchester Music Commission records her production and broadcasting experience. People like Gabay help a music ecosystem tell its own story. They bring audiences closer to the people and ideas behind the music, and they help emerging voices become part of the city's shared conversation. See Karen Gabay in Manchester Music City's partner network and connect with her on LinkedIn.

6. Kate Lowes, Brighter Sound.

Kate Lowes is Director at Brighter Sound, an organisation that develops music and creative opportunity from its Manchester base. Her leadership is visible in the organisation's current partnership work, including the Manchester Seen and Heard programme for BRITs Fringe 2026. That kind of work asks leaders to balance artistic quality with access, partnership and delivery. It also shows how a music organisation can help a city present itself to new audiences while keeping local creative voices at the centre. Lowes represents the leadership needed to turn a good programme idea into a meaningful public experience. Read about Brighter Sound's BRITs Fringe programme and connect with Kate Lowes on LinkedIn.

7. Linda Begbie, Manchester Collective.

Linda Begbie is Chief Executive of Manchester Collective. She moved into the role after being part of the organisation's core team, bringing continuity to a period of new leadership. Manchester Collective works across music, performance and other creative forms, so its executive work is about more than administration. It is about making the conditions for ambitious projects, strong partnerships and an inclusive culture. The organisation's 2025 leadership announcement explains how Begbie's executive leadership works alongside artistic planning led by Rakhi Singh and Jasmin Kent Rodgman. Read Manchester Collective's leadership announcement and connect with Linda Begbie on LinkedIn.

8. Natalie-Eve Williams, BBC Introducing.

Natalie-Eve Williams is a music broadcaster and BBC Introducing contributor in the Greater Manchester music conversation. Broadcasting leadership can look different from running an organisation, but it has real influence over which artists are heard, discussed and connected with wider audiences. Her current LinkedIn profile and the Greater Manchester Music Commission board material place her within that local music network. The useful lesson is that music ecosystems need people who can spot potential early and help the right listeners find it. A strong broadcaster does not simply describe a scene. They help the scene grow. Read about the Greater Manchester Music Commission board and connect with Natalie-Eve Williams on LinkedIn.

9. Phill Howley, Brighter Sound.

Phill Howley is Head of Programmes at Brighter Sound. He brings a long background in music facilitation, project management and community-focused creative work to a role that turns values into programmes. That matters because inclusion is not created by a statement alone. It is created through the way people are invited in, the way their voices are heard and the way a programme is designed and delivered. Howley's work shows the importance of programme leadership in the music sector. The person shaping the process often shapes the experience just as much as the person on stage. Read about Brighter Sound's current programme leadership and connect with Phill Howley on LinkedIn.

10. Rakhi Singh, Manchester Collective.

Rakhi Singh is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Manchester Collective. She works with a team that brings together musicians, producers, dancers, filmmakers, engineers, writers and other creative specialists. That collaborative model gives her role a broad leadership brief. It involves choosing what to make, who to make it with and how to invite audiences into work that may not fit neatly inside one genre. Singh's contribution shows why artistic leadership needs curiosity and courage. New music grows when leaders create space for unusual combinations and make them feel possible. Meet the Manchester Collective team and connect with Rakhi Singh on LinkedIn.

What these leaders show.

The people on this list work in different parts of the same system. Butcher leads a major concert organisation. Morgan works on artist development and education. Moutrey connects culture with civic leadership. Jenna G brings together performance, broadcasting and creative production. Gabay helps audiences understand the culture around the music. Lowes and Howley build programmes. Begbie and Singh lead a collective where executive and artistic work have to move together. Williams helps emerging music find an audience.

That range matters. A music scene is strongest when leadership is distributed across institutions, artists, educators, broadcasters, producers and public partners. It also matters that some of these leaders work in formal executive roles while others lead through creative practice. The title on a business card is only one part of the picture. The more useful question is what someone makes possible for other people.

Manchester's next chapter will depend on that shared work. Artists need routes into the industry. Organisations need sustainable models. Audiences need reasons to take part. Leaders need the patience to build partnerships that outlast one event or season. The strongest examples here combine a clear point of view with a willingness to work across boundaries.

How to learn from Manchester's music leaders.

If you are building a music organisation, start by looking at the whole experience rather than only the public result. Ask how artists are discovered, how people are supported, how decisions are made and how partners are treated. Then look for the leadership habits that connect those pieces. Clarity, trust, good judgement and a willingness to share credit are practical behaviours, not abstract values.

If you are an artist or emerging creative, pay attention to the people who create useful pathways. That might be an artist development specialist, a producer, a broadcaster, a venue leader or a programme director. Follow their work, learn how their organisations operate and look for the projects that match your stage of development. Good networks are built through thoughtful attention over time.

If you lead outside the music sector, there is a broader lesson here. Creative organisations often work with limited certainty and many different stakeholders. Their leaders have to hold a clear purpose while making room for experimentation. That is a valuable model for any team trying to do meaningful work in a changing environment.

For more practical ideas about leadership clarity and healthy teams, read 11 Proven Ways to Get Your Leadership Team Aligned, 100 Proven Strategies for Leadership Team Development and 37 Practical Tips for Leadership Alignment Consulting.

Frequently asked questions.

What makes a music leader?

A music leader creates the conditions for good work to happen. That might mean leading an organisation, developing artists, creating programmes, connecting audiences, producing events or building partnerships. The common thread is responsibility for more than one individual outcome.

Why does Manchester need different kinds of music leaders?

Because a music ecosystem has many moving parts. Artists, educators, venues, broadcasters, funders, civic partners and audiences need different forms of leadership. A healthy scene gives those forms of leadership room to connect.

Is this list a ranking?

No. It is a curated starting point, not a ranking. The people included work in different roles, so comparing them as if they were competing for one prize would miss what makes Manchester's music scene interesting.

How can I find more Manchester music leaders?

Start with the organisation pages and networks linked in this article. Then follow the projects, partnerships and programmes that interest you. The people around those projects will often lead you to the next useful connection.

Final thoughts.

Manchester's music leadership is not held by one institution or one generation. It is built through many connected acts of work: an artist gets useful guidance, a new programme makes room for a different voice, a broadcaster helps an emerging performer reach listeners, or a civic partner protects the conditions for culture to grow.

The ten people here offer ten different ways to contribute. That is the real point of the list. Good leadership in music is not about being the loudest person in the room. It is about helping the room become more ambitious, more welcoming and more useful for the people who come next.

If you are trying to build that kind of leadership in your own organisation, start with one clear question: what should become possible for other people because our team is here?

About the author.

Jonno White is the founder of Consult Clarity, a leadership consultancy that helps leaders build organisations people would move cities to work at. He is a keynote speaker, leadership consultant and author who works with teams to build clarity, trust and healthy ways of working. His approach is practical rather than motivational: something people can use on Monday morning, not a feeling that fades by Friday.