London Music Fund announces the appointment of Chris Stones as its new Chief Executive
Chris Stones, Incoming CEO
The London Music Fund (LMF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Stones as its new Chief Executive Officer, with effect from 7th April 2026.
Chris will succeed Chrissy Kinsella, who has served the charity with great distinction for more than a decade and will stand down on 16th January 2026 in order to take up her new post as CEO of London Mozart Players. In the intervening period, Kate Kelly, currently LMF’s Senior Programmes and Operations Manager, will act as Interim CEO.
Chris Stones will join LMF from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra where, as Director of Community and Education, he has been responsible for RPO Resound, an outstanding programme of orchestral learning and outreach, and a core part of the orchestra’s artistic output. Prior to this, Chris had a ten-year tenure at Glyndebourne, where as Head of Tour Development and Head of Learning and Engagement he led the development of Glyndebourne’s diverse and imaginative work beyond the opera stage. His work there included Glyndebourne Academy, an annual programme of intensive development for young singers who have faced barriers to developing their musical careers.
Chris is passionately dedicated to improving the scope and quality of music education for young people and to musical equity and inclusion. Despite the many challenges facing the sector, he foresees opportunities through the growing recognition of the transformative power of the arts and creativity not just in education but also in the economic potential and wellbeing of young people. Chris is thus closely aligned to both the mission and the ambitions of LMF to ensure that young people from low income families who demonstrate talent and commitment to music-making have the fullest opportunity to pursue and fulfil their potential.
Chris will be joining LMF in time to lead its 15th anniversary celebration. This will take the form of a gala concert at Smith Square Hall (formerly St John’s Smith Square) on Monday 27th April 2026. Full details will be published shortly.
Chris Stones writes:-
“I am absolutely delighted to be joining the wonderful team at LMF. Over the past 15 years LMF has established itself as a vital part of the music education ecology of our city, and is becoming a beacon of best practice for other UK cities too. This important work is needed now more than ever, and as we look forward to the next 15 years for LMF I am hugely excited to build on an impressive legacy and play my role in developing the future of the charity.”
Veronica Wadley CBE, Baroness Fleet, Co-Founder and Chair of LMF, and Richard Morris, Co-Founder and Trustee of LMF, write:-
“We are both utterly delighted that Chris Stones will be taking on the leadership of LMF to build on the great achievements of Chrissy Kinsella over the past decade. Chris brings exceptionally relevant experience and skills, along with enormous enthusiasm, for the next stage of LMF’s development. He also has total commitment to LMF’s objective of enabling sustained musical education and progression for all young people. We greatly look forward to working with him to these ends.”