Malvern Alumnae 100 Profile

Jess Hill, MGC, 2005 Leaver

It is not unusual for graduates in the Arts to have a clear sense that becoming an artist/ performer is not for them, but still to have a desire to pursue a career in a field that has always been a passion and driving force – that was certainly the case with me. Music has always been where my interests truly lie and so after graduating from Durham University with a BA in Music and a Masters in Musicology, I headed to London to forge a career in the Arts.

In 2009 I joined Ikon Arts Management and spent a happy and fulfilling eight years working as an Artist and Festival Manager. As an Artist Manager, I developed and managed the international touring careers of vocal supergroups, working with the likes of The Swingle Singers, Stile Antico, The Real Group  and The King’s Singers. As Festival Manager, I programmed and ran an international vocal festival, The London A Cappella Festival, bringing incredible vocal talent from across the world to perform in London.

In 2017, it was time for a new challenge. I joined the BBC Radio 3 team and am currently working on a busy schedule of broadcasts and concerts given by BBC Singers & BBC Symphony Orchestra and each summer at the BBC Proms.

What is your best piece of advice?

The workplace is all about relationships and quite often opportunities arise from chance  connections, long-developed alliances and deep-rooted bonds. Don’t just network; build meaningful relationships. They will nourish your present and your future.

What does success look like?

People often look to the future for success, but for me success is in what we are doing right now. Invest in everything you do with attention to detail, innovation, creativity and enjoyment; future projects will be all the better for it.