Darren Henley

Darren Richard Henley OBE is the Chief Executive of Arts Council England and an author of books about classical music. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to music.

Between 1989 and 1994, he worked as a freelance radio journalist for stations including Invicta FM, LBC, and Classic FM (UK), while studying politics at the University of Hull, first working for Classic FM in 1992. After graduating in 1994, he joined Classic FM full-time, working as an overnight newsreader before becoming programme editor of the station's Classic Newsnight programme in 1995. He was made News Manager in 1996, Programme Manager in 1999, Managing Editor in 1999, Station Manager in 2004 and Managing Director in 2006. In 2014, he was announced as the new Chief Executive of Arts Council England, succeeding Alan Davey.

In 2011, he undertook an independent review of the funding and delivery of music education in England for the Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of the UK government. The following year, he authored an independent review of cultural education in England for the same two government departments. He was a member of the Scottish Government's Instrumental Music Group, which published a report into instrumental music tuition in Scotland in 2013.

From 2007 to 2010, he chaired the Music Manifesto Partnership and Advocacy Group, as part of a government-backed campaign to improve young people's music education in England. From 2013 to 2015, he has co-chaired the government's Cultural Education Board, first with Schools Minister Elizabeth Truss MP and Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP and then with Nick Gibb MP and Ed Vaizey MP. His other arts related roles have included Chair of the Mayor of London's Music Education Task Force, Patron of the Mayor of London's Fund for Young Musicians, member of the governing body of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music trustee and Vice-President of the Canterbury Festival and Commissioner on the University of Warwick's Commission on the Future of Cultural Value.

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