Robin Osterley’s full-time job is Chief Executive of Making Music, the National Federation of Music Societies, the UK’s leading association for amateur musical organisations. Additionally he has held a number of posts throughout the world of music: he was until recently Chair of the National Music Council and has at various times been a member of the Live Music Forum, the Music Education Council, the National Music Education Forum, the Music Business Forum, the Creative and Cultural Industries FE/HE task force and the shadow board of the Sector Skills Council for the creative and cultural sector. He also sits on the English Advisory Group of Volunteering England and is Chair of a Culture and Heritage special interest group for the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, of which he is also a Director.

Robin’s early musical activities encompassed playing percussion, piano and an enormous amount of singing. As a choral singer, he has many years of experience, having sung with the Philharmonia Chorus and the London Symphony Chorus under such conductors as Giulini, Abbado, Previn, Svetlanov, Davis, Hickox, and many many more. As a conductor, Robin was Music Director of a ladies’ chamber choir in North London, and has been Music Director of Stevenage Choral Society since April 2001. His repertoire is wide ranging, having an interest in composers from Bach to Britten and beyond. His musical experience also encompasses coaching singers, playing percussion in amateur orchestras, drums in a trad jazz band and teaching piano.