Catherine Arlidge MBE moves on to new adventures

Catherine Arlidge MBE to step down from her role as Artistic and Educational Director of National Children’s Orchestras.

After eight impactful years with NCO, Catherine will be moving on to new adventures in spring 2025.Catherine is taking up the position of Director of Artistic Planning at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), where she has been a violinist for more than 30 years.

Catherine has NCO’s heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on her appointment to this incredibly exciting role.

Catherine will have been at NCO for nearly eight years during which time she has completely reimagined the charity’s artistic and educational vision, developed and nurtured its wonderful creative teams and created genuinely distinctive and life-changing musical experiences for an entire generation of young musicians.

“Catherine’s personal impact on NCO, our members and their families, our creative teams and the wider sector is huge and she has achieved all this with her winning combination of steely determination and sense of fun. We will miss her very much.”
Sophie Lewis, Chief Executive, National Children’s Orchestras.

NCO is in great shape organisationally and artistically, as they look forward to launching their 2025programmes to more than 650 children and young people in January, following a record breaking level of interest to take part in NCO next year. The charity’s expansion of programmes connecting children and young people with free, open access musical and orchestral opportunities grows apace and the organisation looks forward to celebrating stories and sharing more of these opportunities in2025 and beyond.

“My years at NCO have been an incredible adventure and a complete joy. I will really miss the hundreds of young people, the brilliant music educators who work with NCO and our visionary staff team and board. I know I am leaving NCO in a position to thrive and develop further, so I look forward to coming to concerts and seeing where Sophie and the team take the organisation next.”
Catherine Arlidge MBE, Artistic and Educational Director, National Children’s Orchestras

“Catherine has made a phenomenal contribution to NCO for which we will always be grateful.We wish her every success in this exciting new role with the CBSO.” Louise Mitchell CBE, Chair of NCO Board of Trustees

NCO will share updates on the succession of Catherine’s role in due course.

For Press enquiries, please email Becky Cresswell, Communications Director.