The Glasshouse International Centre for Music – currently celebrating its 20th birthday – has appointed Andy Haldane, CBE as its new chair of the board.
Haldane steps into the role as the music centre looks ahead to its third decade and most ambitious chapter yet. Located on the banks of the River Tyne in a landmark building designed by Foster + Partners, The Glasshouse is a national and international home for music – rooted in the North East, with impact that reaches far beyond it. With the appointment, the organisation strengthens its leadership as it enters a new chapter of creative, educational, and civic impact.
Haldane brings a wealth of experience from a career spanning public service, policy, and economic development. He served as chief economist at the Bank of England, permanent secretary for levelling up, and most recently, chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts – a global organisation that creates platforms, opportunities, and networks to build world-changing actions.
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Among other roles, he is chancellor of the University of Sheffield, president and founder of the charity Pro Bono Economics, chair of the National Numeracy Leadership Council, chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), a contributing editor at the Financial Times, chief economic advisor at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and a member of the advisory board of the Bradford Literature Festival and the South Yorkshire Mayor’s Economic Advisory Council.
Born in the North East and a lifelong supporter of Sunderland AFC, Haldane also has a strong personal connection to music – he’s a passionate music lover whose father was a professional musician.
Haldane said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be taking up the position of chair at The Glasshouse later this year. The Glasshouse is beacon of creativity and opportunity, not just for the North East but nationally and globally. As someone born in the North East and whose father was a musician, I know the pivotal role music and culture plays in lifting everyone’s lives. I look forward to working with the exceptional team at The Glasshouse and my fellow Board members in unleashing even more of that creativity and opportunity for people in the North East and beyond”
The announcement follows the release of The Glasshouse’s 20-year impact report. Since opening in 2004, the charity has contributed £681.2million to the UK economy, welcomed over 8 million people to live performances, and supported 1.8 million young people through high-quality music education.
As chair, Haldane will support and champion the charity’s bold vision for the future. This includes The Glasshouse Academy, a major new initiative for young people and professional musicians; delivering a significant eight-figure capital investment in its building to keep music facilities world-class and future proof the music centre; entering its most creatively ambitious era yet, and becoming the most financially accessible music centre in Europe. These four goals – setting the direction for The Glasshouse’s third decade – reflect the charity’s commitment to creativity, inclusion and regional pride.
The appointment also follows a series of landmark announcements. These include the launch of its 2025/26 classical season, the kick-off of its Music Academy to support emerging talent, a region-wide partnership with BBC Introducing to support new and independent artists in the region, and the return of the BBC Proms to the North East in a major regional festival. Together, these signal an enormously ambitious new era for the organisation.
Haldane will take up the role of chair this autumn, supporting The Glasshouse as it enters this ambitious new chapter. The appointment follows an extensive search process led by global executive search and assessment firm Saxton Bampfylde.
