My uncle, Jeremy Walker, who has died aged 67 of cancer, dedicated his life to inspiring young musicians and performers. As director of music at Westminster Under school in London and later as the transformative CEO and artistic director of the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT), Jeremy had a profound impact on music education and youth theatre in Britain.
Born in Bolton, the son of Kenneth Walker, a sales engineer, and Margaret (nee Lever), a singer, Jeremy grew up in Blackpool, where his love of music was inspired by his mother, and nurtured at Holy Trinity church. After attending Arnold school in Blackpool, he trained to be a teacher at Balls Park College in Hertford before starting his career at Lockers Park school in Hemel Hempstead.
In 1988, aged 29, Jeremy became director of music at Westminster Under school, a role he held for 36 years until his retirement in 2022. He cultivated a very strong musical tradition at the school, which educates boys aged seven to 13, and developed ties with St Margaret’s church, Westminster, whereby the school supplied choristers for their choir. Under his leadership, the Westminster Under school boys’ choir recorded albums and embarked on international tours. His passion and high standards inspired performances far beyond what would normally be expected of a school choir.
From 2011, Jeremy was CEO and artistic director at NYMT, following a period as musical director. In 2012, NYMT staged three works by Jason Robert Brown, including the West End premiere of Brown’s musical, 13. While the production was financially risky, it was a triumph. It launched the careers of performers including Yungblud and Amara Okereke, and proved to be the catalyst for dozens of ambitious productions in the years that followed.
Jeremy was passionate about creating opportunities for young people from all backgrounds. He ensured that NYMT extended across Britain through workshops and productions such as West Side Story in Manchester in 2013 and Brass in Leeds in 2014 – the latter won the UK Theatre award for best musical production. He also built relationships internationally, collaborating with organisations in China and Sweden.
After his cancer diagnosis, Jeremy guided NYMT through the Covid pandemic, producing a three-show season in 2021 that benefited more than 500 young people. This included The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Manchester Cathedral, which featured more than 100 performers and incorporated British Sign Language, earning an “Offie” – Off West End theatre – award.
Jeremy’s legacy lives on in the thousands of lives he touched. Brown noted how he “provided young artists with both an example and an opportunity, offering gruff kindness and respect to anyone pursuing a creative life”.
Jeremy’s partner, Cicero Magalhaes, with whom he registered a civil partnership in 2021, died earlier this year. He is survived by his sister, Lesley, and me.
