Royal Irish Academy of Music announces new Chairperson, Judith Woodworth

The Board of Governors of the Royal Irish Academy of Music has announced today (Friday, February 10th, 2023) the election of Judith Woodworth as Chairperson of the institution. Ms Woodworth succeeds Dennis Jennings who was chair of the RIAM Board of Governors since 2017 and oversaw the recent €25million redevelopment of the Westland Row campus.

Judith Woodworth has spent over 35 years at the top level of the arts and entertainment industry in London and Ireland. She was Director/CEO of the National Concert Hall from 1993-2010, where she established its reputation as one of Europe's leading concert halls. Since retirement, she has served as a Council member of the Arts Council and as chair of our national St Patrick's Festival. She is currently serving her second term as a member of the Governing Authority of the University of Limerick, where she also chairs the Board of the University Concert Hall. She also chairs the Alfred Beit Foundation, which owns and manages one of Ireland's most important 18th-century Palladian buildings. She was formerly a Governor of The Irish Times Trust. Judith was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2016.

'It is a great honour and pleasure to be appointed chairperson of the Governing Body, especially this year as we celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the RIAM. Our newly transformed campus on Westland Row has recently opened with great fanfare and will enable us to double our teaching numbers, and a state-of-the-art 300-seat recital Hall will also open in the coming months. The realisation of this ambitious building project is a huge achievement by the Governing Body and executive. I look forward very much to working with the Board, the highly professional executive, talented teaching staff and students, under the dynamic leadership of the Director, Deborah Kelleher, in further raising the RIAM’s reputation as a national conservatoire for music with an increasing international profile.' Ms Woodworth said upon her election.

'I am delighted that Judith Woodworth has agreed to become Chair of the Governing Body of the RIAM at this transformational time. As RIAM expands in terms of our national relevance and international reach, Judith's experience as former CEO of the National Concert Hall, itself a national cultural institution of significance, makes her the ideal selection as Chair at this time. I look forward to working with her’, said Deborah Kelleher, Director of RIAM, welcoming Judith to the position.