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.

Under her artistic leadership, LYC has delivered transformative musical opportunities for thousands of young people and built a reputation for excellence—performing for royalty, international music legends, and at high-profile cultural and corporate events. Rachel also spearheads LYC Voices, the organisation’s professional and commercial arm, which collaborates with brands, media, and the film industry to bring bespoke choral performances and recordings to national and international audiences.

Trained at Royal Holloway and the Royal Academy of Music (where she is now an Associate), Rachel has contributed extensively to TV and film; her credits include Wallace & Gromit and The Twits, alongside appearances across ITV and the BBC. Her career spans leadership roles with the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and Opera North, demonstrating a unique ability to deliver high-quality music education at scale.

Widely recognised as an innovative and visionary leader in music and arts education, Rachel was shortlisted for the 2023 Francesca Hanley Inspiration Award. She combines artistic excellence with a strategic approach to partnership and funding, ensuring LYC continues to thrive as both an educational powerhouse and a commercially successful organisation.

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.

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.

Before joining London Youth Choirs, she led communications for the World Symposium on Choral Music 2023, delivering a global campaign that reached millions and supported sold-out performances across 11 venues with a young and spirited team. She also heads MarComms for Thames Philharmonic Choir in South West London with a passionate volunteer team, shaping their digital presence in line with the choir's legacy and evolving identity. 

Sinem’s earlier career includes senior roles at GlaxoSmithKline and Havas Digital Agency, where she managed multidisciplinary teams, delivered large-scale data-driven marcomms strategies and led award-winning digital projects. Alongside her professional work, she has hands-on community experience as Charity Lead at Kew Green Prep School, helping to raise significant funds through partnership-driven campaigns.

A committed storyteller, she is currently undertaking postgraduate studies in Creative Writing and New Publishing Models, bringing her passion for narrative craft into her marcomms experience. Born in Ankara and now based in London for nearly ten years, she is deeply engaged in the choral world both as a marketer and as an alto singer. 

Outside of work and choir Lily enjoys most things creative: pottery, painting, playing the guitar or flute. You may see her frantically knitting at rehearsals!

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.

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.

Prior to joining LYC, Maxwell worked as Concerts Manager for London Concertante and as Press Officer at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, where he secured national and international media coverage, with a particular focus on learning and engagement programmes. His earlier experience includes roles with the BBC Proms and Spitfire Audio, spanning live event delivery, artist liaison, and digital communications.

Alongside his work with LYC and engagements as a musician, Maxwell is a manager at St George’s Hanover Square, overseeing concerts and public events in one of London’s leading historic music venues. His music has been performed at venues including the National Gallery and Barbican, and he has worked as a session guitarist and composer for film and live performance.

Martha’s passion for choral music began with her two years in the London Youth Chamber Choir—a love for the organization that eventually led her to join its operations team.