UMG Announces Series Of Executive Appointments

Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a series of executive management appointments within the Global Classics and Jazz division.

The additions follow a hugely successful year for the company with artists including Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Max Richter, Andrea Bocelli and John Coltrane.

Announcing the changes, Dickon Stainer, President and CEO of Global Classics and Jazz, said: "These new appointments represent an exciting evolution within our business and offer new opportunities to our labels and artists. These roles and functions will help shape our global strategy to ensure that we continue to deliver category-leading performance on behalf of our artists and our audiences."

Effective immediately, Holly Adams has been appointed to the role of Head of Soundtrack and Score, Global Classics and Jazz and Globe UK. In her previous role, she has overseen the acquisition and marketing campaigns for a number of significant soundtracks including the last two Oscar-winning scores, Ennio Morricone's The Hateful Eight and Alexandre Desplat’s The Shape of Water. She was also responsible for securing Andrea and Matteo Bocelli’s title-sequence duet on Disney’s The Nutcracker And The Four Realms in 2018.

In her new role working out of LA, Holly will be primarily responsible for driving the worldwide strategic direction of UMG's soundtrack and score business in close partnership with our market-leading classical and jazz labels: GlobeUK/Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Blue Note and Verve/US Classics, and providing unique and innovative film collaboration opportunities for UMG artists.

Holly has helped UMG secure the soundtracks to some of today’s most critically-acclaimed films including The Favourite, Vice and Ready Player One – all of which are Oscar and BAFTA nominated. Her appointment to this central role reflects a growing commitment to bring soundtracks and score to the heart of the worldwide classics and jazz music business. It is also testament to the success of scores by UMG artists including Max Richter (Mary Queen of Scots, Shutter Island, Waltz with Bashir, The Leftovers), Ólafur Arnalds (Broadchurch) and the late Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory of Everything, Arrival, Sicario).

Dickon Stainer commented: "Holly is an exceptional executive with a superb track record in the world of soundtrack and score. I am thrilled that she is taking this worldwide role to create new partnerships between our artists and composers and the ever-evolving world of film and televisual entertainment."

From 04 February, Rachel Tregenza joins as Head of International Communications and Artist Strategy, Global Classics and Jazz, after nearly five years at Decca where she has worked across numerous key media campaigns, including Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Max Richter and Andrea Bocelli. Rachel will help to amplify the global storytelling across classics and jazz, working alongside our label colleagues and UMG Global Communications.

From 01 April, Anja Boenicke joins as Head of Artist and Brand Partnerships, Global Classics and Jazz from Deutsche Grammophon where she was responsible for the operational running of DG120 – a major worldwide celebration of the label’s 120th anniversary. Anja will help lead brand partner relations for our classical and jazz labels and artists.

These three key appointments mark a significant expansion to the Global Classics and Jazz division, as the genre continues to evolve through streaming and digital innovation, and offers exciting creative and commercial opportunities for UMG labels and artists.