Universal Music Group appoint Michelle Teh as Senior Vice President, Global Classics & Jazz

17 March 2023 - Press release

Dickon Stainer, President and CEO of Global Classics & Jazz (GCJ) for Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announces the appointment of music industry leader, Michelle Teh, as the division’s new Senior Vice President.

An executive with over twenty years’ industry experience, Teh has worked closely with numerous classical and jazz artists, having run international marketing campaigns at UMG for the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Ólafur Arnalds and Alice Sara Ott, from 2012 to 2016. She returns to GCJ from UMG’s Global Priorities team, where she has spent the last three years working on international campaigns for artists including Billie Eilish, Sam Smith and The Weeknd.

Teh brings to her new role a multitude of relevant experience, including a close working relationship with Disney Music Group – with whom she collaborated on the GRAMMY®-winning soundtrack to the animated musical, Encanto – and the highly successful launch of Voyage: ABBA’s first new album in over forty years.

The appointment comes at an exciting time for UMG’s classical and jazz labels, with Verve Records’ 23-year-old jazz sensation Samara Joy named Best New Artist at the GRAMMY®s, and continued critical acclaim and commercial success for the division’s signings. The roster Teh will oversee encompasses household names from Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Capitol’s Blue Note, Verve, Hyperion and ECM. This includes Ludovico Einaudi, Norah Jones, Lang Lang and Gregory Porter, alongside exciting young talent such as Jon Batiste, Víkingur Olafsson, DOMi & JD Beck and Lise Davidsen.

In making the announcement, Dickon Stainer said: “I’m delighted to welcome Michelle to our division and am thrilled to have such an experienced, forward-thinking and revered executive on board, who can further drive the prosperity of our world-renowned and upcoming artists. Michelle has a brilliant track record of attracting diverse audience sectors to different types of music, and her experience will help us build on our successes so far.”

Michelle Teh commented: “I am excited to bring my global experience to this role. Classical music and jazz have the power to reach audiences far beyond their immediate fanbases – and through the

wealth of platforms and the different ways we connect in the modern world, there is more opportunity than ever ahead of us. Working together with UMG’s phenomenal artists and our fantastic team will be an absolute privilege.”