Management Team

In her positions with both the National Youth Choirs and National Youth Orchestra Nina has been responsible for the creation and implementation of new philanthropic strategies which have played a critical role in their development and growth. Alongside these roles, Nina has also worked as a consultant to Help Musicians UK, Longborough Festival Opera and Gabrieli Consort & Players, providing business development support and advice on fundraising and governance. In 2018, Nina became a Trustee of the D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust.

She held the post of Vocal Director for In Harmony Opera North (Classic FM’s Music Education Project of the Year 2014) and spent several years establishing the Opera North Children’s Chorus. Rachel has also worked as a conductor with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain for over a decade.

In 2014, Rachel was made Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, in recognition of her contribution to choral music and work with young people. She is passionate about using choral music to inspire young people from all backgrounds and dedicates her career to this mission. Rachel was proud to be a finalist for the Francesca Hanley Inspiration Award at the Music and Drama Education Awards in 2023.

He now spends the majority of his spare time playing tennis. He also enjoys swimming, Pilates, reading, cinema, theatre and of course music. He is a member of Epsom Choral Society as a first bass.

Before joining LYC, Tom spent five years at the Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras – running their young artist development scheme, fixing and managing John Eliot Gardiner’s Monteverdi Choir and undertaking various fundraising roles. Outside office hours, he can often be found racing across the country on his bike, singing in various choirs around London, or indulging his love of cats and other animals. Tom is proud to be a Trustee of Echo Vocal Ensemble.

In her positions as development lead at the National Youth Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and most recently Gabrieli, Nicolette has been responsible for income growth, donor care and team management. She has gained a wealth of experience of the importance of good communications and governance and the impact they both can have on fundraising.

At Chineke! Foundation, she worked with the musicians of Europe's first majority Black, Asian and ethnically diverse professional and junior orchestras, nurturing young talent, providing the Chineke! Juniors with a welcoming environment to confidently perform at prestigious venues, such as Royal Festival Hall and Kensington Palace. Ishani developed multiple learning partnerships with music hubs, venues and other charities across England, taking Chineke! Orchestra professional musicians into primary and secondary schools to lead workshops in performance and creative composition.

She is a Trustee for the charity Music for All and a member of Dulwich Symphony Orchestra, playing second violin, where she ran an orchestra outreach programme and is also a Trustee. Ishani established a new charity, Draper Together with the residents of the Draper Estate in London SE1, bringing a diverse community together through arts-based events such as cultural festivals, a theatre season and concerts in the community hall. In 2016, she achieved a Masters (Distinction) in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths, University of London and was a Development Placement with the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT). Ishani has been a TV Researcher for BBC Specialist Factual Arts and an independent educational film producer.

Rachel previously worked for Little Angel Theatre as Workshop Producer, focusing on school partnerships and engagement. Prior to this, she facilitated educational Musical Theatre programmes for Disney Theatrical Group and Wicked Active Learning, as well as facilitating inclusive dance practice for Step Change Studios, creating accessible dance programmes for disabled young people and adults. She is a member of London Contemporary Voices.

Rachel believes strongly in the power the arts can play in supporting and enhancing people’s lives, and is deeply committed to increasing access to the arts for all those who may wish to engage with it.

Polly has worked extensively in theatre, film and television. She started off working in stage management on numerous theatre shows ranging from weekly repertory to the West End, including three years on Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She was an assistant producer on a number of gala shows including Sondeim Tonight – Barbican, Around The World – Royal Albert Hall and Comedy Tonight – National Theatre.

In television she worked in production on several commercials, promos and TV dramas both on set and in the production office. Polly then worked as an assistant agent at Peters, Fraser & Dunlop (now United Agents) representing some of the top actors in the world. She then moved to the BBC to work as a Casting Director. She also independently cast films, promos and ran workshops for actors.

Polly is proud to be Patron and Chair of Trustees for Barnsley Youth Theatre. She has four children, several animals and loves hiking, cold water swimming and singing.

Freddie currently sits on the Board of Trustees and Finance & Audit Committee at The National Foundation for Youth Music and is podcast host for Music Industry Voices.

Outside of choirs, Zoe can often be found playing badminton or watching cricket. Living in Hertfordshire, Zoe spends much of her time on trains in and out of London, but says she enjoys it because “it gives me time to read”. Book recommendations always welcome.

While pursuing her masters in Entrepreneurship at King’s College London, Arielle developed a keen interest in social and charitable enterprises. As a result, she concentrated her research dissertation on the intricate challenges that face social-based startups. Now, as part of LYC, she is enthusiastic about furthering her understanding and involvement in charitable organisations.

Outside of work, Arielle enjoys regularly attending concerts and shows, alongside learning musical instruments and foreign languages.