Press Release - Birmingham Royal Ballet announce Claire Dersley as Head of Orchestra Operations

[Jan McNulty]

PRESS RELEASE 3 April 2024 Twitter / Facebook / Instagram /Website       BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET ANNOUNCE CLAIRE DERSLEY AS HEAD OF ORCHESTRA OPERATIONS       Birmingham Royal Ballet today announces the appointment of Claire Dersley as the Company’s new Head of Orchestra Operations working with the acclaimed Royal Ballet Sinfonia, beginning 1 July.     Paul Murphy, the Company’s new Music Director and Principal Conductor (from 1 July) said: “I am absolutely delighted that Claire will be joining us as our new Head of Orchestra Operations. She brings a great deal of orchestral management experience and a genuine love of our Company to the role and I’m really looking forward to working with her”.     Claire Dersley added: “I’m thrilled to accept the position of Head of Orchestra Operations with Birmingham Royal Ballet.  I look forward to working closely with Paul Murphy to continue and expand upon the fantastic work that he and Koen Kessels have already been undertaking with the orchestra.”     Claire has been Orchestra Manager at City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra since 2009, and in that time has developed strong relationships and improved working practices with its musicians, alongside working closely with each of its Music Directors; Andris Nelsons, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and currently Chief Conductor Kazuki Yamada.       She has toured extensively across Europe and internationally, as well as working on projects including the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, multiple BBC Proms, a Chandos recording series with Ed Gardner and award-winning Deutsche Grammophon recordings with Mirga.     Prior to CBSO Claire spent 3 years working at BBC Concert Orchestra, working on many TV and radio broadcasts, CD recordings and at various festivals including Cheltenham Music Festival and Henley Festival.     A trained cellist, Claire studied music at Southampton University before embarking on her career into arts administration.     The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. Alongside touring with Birmingham Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet Sinfonia plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances with Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.                        Notes to Editors:    Birmingham Royal Ballet   Birmingham Royal Ballet is the United Kingdom’s leading touring ballet company performing a range of traditional, classical and heritage ballets as well as ground-breaking new works with the aim of encouraging choreographers of the future.   The Company’s Director since January 2020 is the internationally renowned Carlos Acosta.   Birmingham Royal Ballet standardly performs at Birmingham Hippodrome for approximately ten weeks of the year and the remainder of the year tours throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. On average, the Company performs 175 shows a year nationally and internationally.     Music is at the heart of BRB’s activities and the company is committed to regularly commissioning new orchestral music for ballet. Through BRB’s Ballet Now programme which was launched in 2017 BRB has commissioned the largest number of new orchestral music for Ballet since Diaghilev.      The Royal Ballet Sinfonia  The Royal Ballet Sinfonia is Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra, it is also Britain's busiest ballet orchestra. Alongside touring with Birmingham Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet Sinfonia plays frequently for The Royal Ballet and other leading ballet companies, including performances with Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Kirov, Norwegian Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and La Scala Ballet.