Sinfonia Viva Flying High With New Board Chair

Former airline boss Tony Davis has been appointed Board Chair of Sinfonia Viva – the Grammy-nominated East Midlands’ professional orchestra - to drive forward its ambitious growth plans.

Mr Davis first became involved with Sinfonia Viva almost 15 years ago when he was managing director of bmibaby. The Castle Donington-based airline supported Viva’s tour of Ireland in 2005 including a performance in Cork as part of the official European Capital of Culture programme.

In addition to being an aviation consultant and advisor, Mr Davis has also pursued a lifelong interest in music and the arts with involvement in the Lichfield Festival, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and now Sinfonia Viva.

Sinfonia Viva Chief Executive Peter Helps highlighted the importance of embracing the synergies between the corporate and arts sectors.

“Tony joins us at a pivotal time in our development as a long-established Orchestra with an excellent reputation for taking high quality classical music to a wide range of audiences.

“His extensive business experience and genuine love for orchestra music will be vital to Sinfonia Viva’s vision for growth and diversification so that we can move the Orchestra to another level both here in the East Midlands and further afield.”

Mr Davis said: “I am looking forward to joining Viva at this exciting moment in its journey and contributing towards the further success of the organisation

 “Viva, with its well established mix of both concert performances and nationally acclaimed education and community projects, is unique in that it is not a conventional orchestra.

“The breadth of the Orchestra’s work, whether that is in the concert hall, village hall or in local communities and educational settings, shares the common denominator of making high quality classical music accessible to all.

“I have been particularly impressed with the Orchestra’s work with older people in care homes and young people with special educational needs and I’m keen that this ground- breaking work is expanded into other areas to enrich even more people’s lives.”

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