Vanessa Reed joined New Music USA on August 15th, 2019 as President and CEO following just over a decade with PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading funder of music and talent development. During her time at this specialist agency, Vanessa significantly increased support available to diverse music creators at critical stages in their careers and repositioned the Foundation as an international advocate and go-to partner for major new music collaborations. Her leadership of strategy and outreach resulted in the launch of an array of transformational funding programs including the Momentum Music Fund, Women Make Music, Musicians in Residence China, and the New Music Biennial which help music creators of all backgrounds to realize their potential.

More recently, she also founded, with European and Canadian partners, the award-winning international Keychange initiative which invests in female talent and raises awareness of the gender gap in music.

Vanessa has supported the music sector in a range of voluntary roles including as board member of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic where she chaired the organization’s diversity group, as Chair of Sound UK Arts, and as a board member of Protein Dance. Before joining PRS Foundation, Vanessa worked in various arts and policy development roles in Amsterdam, Brussels, and London. She began her career in the late 90s at the British Music Information Centre which, like the American Music Center and Meet The Composer, merged with other UK organisations to form a joint service organisation for new music.

Vanessa believes passionately in New Music USA’s national and international role as supporter, connector, and advocate for the whole new music community in the United States. She will be introducing new programs and ideas to further our national impact and to create more opportunities for composers, musicians and audiences of all backgrounds.