Tony Rigg
A Career at the Heart of Music Education and Industry
Tony Rigg brings a powerful combination of music industry expertise, cultural leadership and educational experience to the Promenade Concert Orchestra. Today, he serves as Chair of the Board.
Tony is a respected music industry advisor, practitioner, business consultant and educator. He is also affiliated with the University of Lancashire, where he co-founded the MA programme in Music Industry Management.
His career has placed him at the heart of both music education and the professional music business. As a result, he has a valuable understanding of how music organisations can grow, adapt and connect with audiences.
Leadership in Live Music
Tony has held senior management roles in major music organisations, including Operations Director for Ministry of Sound. His work has involved the planning and delivery of thousands of live music events. In turn, this has given him deep insight into how audiences experience, enjoy and engage with music in live settings.
From Classical Roots to Contemporary Music
Although grounded in classical music, Tony’s career has also moved widely through contemporary music styles. As an artist and producer, his work has featured on chart-topping and gold-selling albums. Together, these achievements bring creative practice, commercial understanding and a lifelong commitment to musical excellence.
A Published Author and Thought Leader
Tony is also a published author and thought leader on the changing music industry. His books include Popular Music in the Post-digital Age: Politics, Economy, Culture and Technology. They also include The Future of Live Music and The Present and Future of Music Law, all published by Bloomsbury. Together, these publications reflect his broad understanding of music’s place in society, culture, technology, business and law.
Championing Culture Across Lancashire
Alongside his academic and industry work, Tony plays an active role in cultural development across Lancashire. He chairs Preston’s Local Cultural Education Partnership and Lancashire Music Hub’s Board. In addition, he is Director of the Preston Jazz and Improvisation Festival. He also directs the Lancashire Festival of Music and Culture.
More recently, Tony has been instrumental in creating the Lancashire Music Association. This aims to provide meaningful opportunities for music industry development in the North West and beyond.
Guiding the Orchestra’s Future
As Chair of the PCO Board, Tony brings strategic insight and creative energy. Above all, he shows a strong commitment to helping the orchestra thrive.
His experience supports the PCO as it continues to celebrate the rich tradition of light orchestral music. It also helps strengthen the orchestra’s charitable role and develop new audiences. Ultimately, it supports a sustainable future for live music in Morecambe and the wider region.