Alan Davey, CBE, Music, Debrett's 500 2016, People of Influence

Alan Davey, CBE

Controller, BBC Radio 3

‘Music nut’ and former Arts Council chief Alan Davey became controller of Radio 3 at the start of 2015. In this capacity he is responsible for the Proms, five BBC orchestras and the corporation’s choir, the BBC Singers, as well as output at the classical music station. Radio 3 commissions more new music, and broadcasts more of it live, than any other station, and Davey is introducing a greater emphasis on drama and poetry too, to counter claims he is trying to compete with Classic FM. The son of an electrician, Davey grew up in Stockton-on-Tees and worked in the civil service, latterly at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, before joining Arts Council England as chief executive in 2008. Despite his influence, Davey apparently occupies a small desk within the Radio 3 office, and his collection of over 3,000 CDs speaks for his passion for music.