Staff & Trustees
Meet the team behind the scenes and LNM’s trustees.
David Bates
Artistic Director
David Bates initially embarked on a professional singing career before turning to directing/conducting. He founded La Nuova Musica (LNM) in 2007.
Highlights this season away from LNM include his debut with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century in the Netherlands and returning to the Komische Oper Berlin for Handel Hercules. Looking ahead his plans include further titles at the Komische Oper Berlin and Opéra de Rouen Normandie and his debut at the Theater an der Wien.
Last season he conducted Alcina at Staatsoper Hannover, where he also conducted a new production of Monteverdi Orfeo; made his debut with Opéra de Rouen Normandie with Handel Serse and conducted a new production of Handel Saul at the Komische Oper Berlin. He also directed a programme of Mozart and Beethoven with the Munich Symphony Orchestra.
Directing from the harpsichord, David’s previous opera productions have included Rinaldo for Glyndebourne on Tour; Cesti Orontea at the Innsbrucker Festwochen; Cavalli La Calisto for Cincinnati Opera; Iphigénie en Tauride at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon and Vivaldi Farnace at the Spoleto Festival in the United States.
John Summers OBE
CEO
John undertook various freelance roles as a cellist in Scotland and the North of England before moving into full time management with the (Royal) Northern Sinfonia, becoming Chief Executive in 1992. Led for the Sinfonia on the concept and design phase of what is now the Glasshouse, Gateshead.
Chief Executive of the Hallé from 1999 - 2020 he led a significant expansion of the Community programme, including three youth and children’s choir and two youth orchestras, professional experience schemes and assistant conductor programme. He founded the Hallé recording label and led the delivery of the new rehearsal and Education Centre in Manchester, St Peter’s, Ancoats.
Twice Board member of the Association of British Orchestras, Chairing the Association for three years. John was lead Advisor on Music to ACE and a Trustee and honorary member at the Royal Northern College of Music.
John Summers was awarded an OBE in the Birthday Honours in 2021 for services to music and education, and given special recognition in the 2023 Manchester Cultural awards.
Val Hawkin BA ACA DChA
Finance Director
Val qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in Manchester. She joined the Royal Exchange Theatre as Financial Controller in 1991 and during her time there was closely involved in the successful bid to the National Lottery and financial management of the £30m capital programme for the repair and refurbishment of the theatre building following the devastating IRA bomb in Manchester in 1996. She joined the Hallé as Finance Director in 2001 with responsibility for managing all aspects of finance for the group. She was also deputy CEO. During her time as FD, she managed the £1.5m conversion of a disused church, St Peter’s in Ancoats, Manchester into a rehearsal and recording space for the Orchestra and its ensembles, which opened in 2013. In 2017 she stepped down from her role as Finance Director to manage the completion of the St Peter’s project by the addition of a £6m new build extension to the church which completed in Autumn 2019. In addition to her part time role at LNM Val is currently Chair of the Trustees of the Hallé Retirement Benefit Scheme, a £17m defined benefit pension scheme with 155 members.
Harriet Lawrence
Grants Manager
Harriet is an established bid writer in the arts and education sectors and has been part of the development teams at the Barbican Centre, London Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. She is now a fundraising consultant specialising in raising funds from grant giving organisations such as Arts Council England and charitable trusts and foundations. As well as leading on bid writing and strategic development, Harriet also delivers training in fundraising to young artists to help them to secure funds for their work and to strengthen the cultural sector in the longer term. Her client list has included the Academy of Ancient Music, Arcangelo, Multi-Story Orchestra, Abram Wilson Foundation, Nest Collective and the London Handel Festival, and she is part of the regular team at the Brighton Early Music Festival and La Nuova Musica.