Tony Woodcock

Tony Woodcock is a leading pioneer in the field of arts management and music education. At the heart of his work is a dedication to positioning future generations of artists as independent innovators and community leaders. Tony was President of New England Conservatory 2007-15, following a transcontinental career managing orchestras including Minneapolis, Oregon, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony. A veteran fundraiser, negotiator and institutional reformer, he has made dynamism and fresh ideas the foundation of his leadership, and has left a legacy of potent innovations still in evidence across the United States and Great Britain. NEC's Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Sistema Fellowship programs, both initiatives of Tony's, have been met with international acclaim, while his recruitment of star faculty repositioned NEC as a destination for aspiring musicians worldwide. As an orchestral CEO, he organized numerous international tours between Europe and the United States, successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with four major orchestras, and collaborated with a diverse array of celebrity talent, from Paul McCartney to Yakov Kreizberg. All of this was achieved against a backdrop of increases in audience and revenue. Tony studied at Cardiff University, where he was recently awarded an Honorary Fellowship. He is now dividing his time between Southern Europe and NYC, teaching, writing and undertaking project and consultancy work.