Three Greater Manchester-based trustees join ENO Board

Professor Malcolm Press CBE has served as Vice Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University since 2015, and is a distinguished ecologist and higher education leader, holding numerous national and international advisory and trustee roles. Vanda Murray OBE brings over 30 years of senior leadership experience across business, public and charity sectors. These include her current roles as Chair of Marshalls plc and Yorkshire Water, alongside a previous position as CEO of Blick plc. Caroline Julian is Brand and Engagement Director at British Cycling, with extensive experience in communications, marketing and cultural policy and a longstanding commitment to supporting the arts in Manchester.

Along with the rest of the Board, the three new members will play a pivotal role in supporting ENO’s Greater Manchester Partnership, which covers every aspect of opera production and celebrates new possibilities for the artform. Upcoming ENO productions in the city-region include a newly staged concert version of Mozart’s Così fan tutte, at The Bridgewater Hall in February 2026 and the UK premiere of Angel’s Bone, the Pulitzer prize-winning contemporary opera by Chinese American composer Du Yun and librettist Royce Vavrek, in collaboration with Factory International and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, presented at Aviva Studios in May 2026. A range of learning and community outreach programmes are also underway including PERFECT PITCH, a celebration of opera and community football in a co-creation between Salford-based outdoor arts specialists, Walk the Plank, ENO, community groups and local football teams.

Professor Malcolm Press CBE, said:
“I’m honoured to be joining the ENO Board at such an exciting moment in the organisation’s history. ENO’s growing partnership with Greater Manchester, alongside its longstanding creative home in London, represents a powerful national model for opera. I look forward to supporting the company’s work as it expands opportunities for artists, audiences and communities.”

Vanda Murray OBE said:
“I’m delighted to bring my experience to the ENO Board as the organisation deepens its roots in the city region while continuing to deliver world-class work in London too. Together, this dual focus is helping to open up opera, nurture talent and strengthen the cultural ecology across the country.”

Caroline Julian said:
“What attracted me to ENO is its ambition to be a truly national company – rooted in Greater Manchester and London while strengthening its reach, engagement and impact with communities nationwide. The creativity and collaborations emerging in these places are hugely exciting, and I’m delighted to support ENO as it continues to innovate.”