BBC names presenter Suzy Klein as head of arts and classical music television

UK pubcaster the BBC has appointed presenter Suzy Klein to the newly created position of head of arts and classical music TV.

Suzy Klein

Klein will lead the broadcaster’s arts and classical music output on linear channels, VoD service iPlayer and BBC Arts Digital, while also collaborating with radio and podcasting service BBC Sounds.

The position was created to fully integrate arts and classical music TV commissioning into BBC Content, as part of a new commissioning structure under the leadership of Patrick Holland, director of factual, arts and classical music.

Klein, who takes up the new role on October 4, will also hire a new TV commissioning editor, whose remit will include classical music, in due course.

Klein has recently worked as a presenter on BBC culture shows across radio and TV, with hosting credits including music TV shows BBC Proms and BBC Young Musician of the Year and docuseries Tunes for Tyrants and Evita: The Making of a Superstar,

She began her career as a presenter on radio and TV with Canadian pubcaster the CBC, before returning to the UK to work in production for BBC Radio 4, including on programmes such as Start the Week and Loose Ends.

Klein later became a director and producer for television, working on shows such as the BBC Proms, drama documentaries on Mozart and Beethoven and docs on cultural figures such as Ted Hughes, Martin Amis, Steve Reich and John Adams.

Klein said: “If my appointment represents something, it is a long-term commitment to the transformative power, inspiration and joy that the arts bring. That’s something I can’t wait to share with my brilliant commissioning team as we work together to create the most compelling, unmissable programmes for audiences across the UK.”

Holland added: “Suzy combines deep subject knowledge with a proselytising passion for great arts and classical music broadcasting. Her vision for the future development of the genres on television and iPlayer made her the standout candidate for this most important of roles.

“She is an unrivalled communicator with brilliant relationships across the arts and classical music sectors and has a strong track record in production. She will be leading an exceptional team of commissioners in the genre, and we can’t wait for her to start.”