Universal Music Group makes raft of promotions across global Classics and Jazz division – Music Business Worldwide

Universal Music Group (UMG) has made a series of strategic promotions across the executive management team within its Global Classics & Jazz (GCJ) division.

UMG says these appointments “reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to growth,” and will provide “focused resources to accelerate further transformation of its international business and market-leading classical and jazz labels.”

Based in London and effective January 11, 2022, Liz Chew takes on a new role as Senior Director, Global Priorities – Marketing, having spent two years as Director, International Marketing.

Chew joined UMG in 2011 from EMI Classics, and has delivered campaigns for names such as Andrea Bocelli, including his number one album Si and Ludovico Einaudi’s Cinema, featuring scores from his Oscar and BAFTA-winning films.

In October, Bocelli inked an exclusive and expanded global recording deal with UMG. The strategic worldwide partnership saw Bocelli sign directly to UMG for the first time after more than 25 years of collaboration.

Chew has also worked on campaigns for artists including Ennio Morricone, Luciano Pavarotti, Cecilia Bartoli and Ólafur Arnalds.

She will lead a team spanning London and Berlin, creating global campaigns for a range of projects across UMG’s Global Classics & Jazz roster, as well as supporting new, emerging and developing artists.

Rachel Tregenza expands her role to become Senior Director, Global Priorities – Communications & Artist Strategy, after two years leading on PR for the division and shaping international album campaigns for classical and jazz artists including Max Richter, Lang Lang, Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason, Víkingur Ólafsson and Gregory Porter.

She also worked alongside Chew on Bocelli’s Music For Hope event, a live stream performance that drew three million peak concurrent viewers, says UMG.

Tregenza will focus on new audiences for classical and jazz, driving artist strategy while working alongside label colleagues, artists and UMG Global Communications.

George Irwin is also promoted to the newly created role of Audience & Analytics Manager, reporting to Paul Moseley, SVP, Content & Data.

UMG says these promotions are “indicative of the company’s support for employee development and innovation within the management team for Global Classics & Jazz.”

Over the past two years, UMG’s GCJ division’s successes have ranged from Andrea Bocelli’s livestream at Milan’s Duomo, to Jon Batiste’s 11 Grammy Award nominations, part-produced by the LA-based producer Tearce Kizzo, who spoke with MBW in December.

“These new appointments represent the constant evolution of our international business.”

Sam Jackson, Global Classics & Jazz,

Sam Jackson, EVP, Global Classics & Jazz, said: “These new appointments represent the constant evolution of our international business.

“This exceptional team will support expansion and diversification across the pivotal areas of international marketing, communications, artist strategy and audience analytics.

“Focused on delivering our artists’ diverse creative ambitions, they will work together with our labels and partners, offering their global expertise and unrivalled insight.”

“These changes mark the latest step in our mission to deliver best-in-class service for our incredible artists.”

Dickon Stainer, Global Classics & Jazz

Dickon Stainer, President & CEO, Global Classics & Jazz comments: “These changes mark the latest step in our mission to deliver best-in-class service for our incredible artists, and for these genres of music which hold global cultural significance and are of great importance to us at UMG.”Music Business Worldwide