Sarah was born in Oslo, and trained as a classical ballet dancer at the Norwegian National Ballet School in Oslo and Académie de Danse Classique in Monte Carlo. After working for 5 years as a professional ballet dancer in London, she studied at Cambridge University, where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Japanese and Chinese Studies, with a focus on literature and history. She won a Fulbright scholarship to study in the United States, and, with the aim of transitioning back into the arts field, she completed a Masters degree in Arts and Cultural Management at Pratt Institute, New York.

While in New York, she worked in fundraising for City Lights Youth Theater and for the Opera Company of Brooklyn, where she was later General Manager. She is a board member of Abanar, an organisation dedicated to dance on film, which she helped to incorporate as a non-profit organisation.

After returning to London, Sarah worked as an artist manager for Intermusica Artists’ Management, with responsibility for soloists and conductors. This led to a move to Oslo, where she was Head of Artistic Planning of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, working on shaping the organisation’s strategy for programme planning, touring, recordings and artist engagement. During her time in Oslo she also served on the board for the Queen Sonja International Music Competition.She co-founded Lead! in 2018 and the Fiskars Summer Festival in 2020, and currently lives in Helsinki.Apart from her lifelong passion for the arts, in particular music and dance, she has had a long-standing interest in mentorship and in helping young artists make the transition to their professional fields. She has worked independently as a personal development coach, where her clients have included both students and established artists.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste was born in Heinola, Finland. He was Co-Principal Second Violinist with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra while training to be a conductor with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He was also a leader in various chamber music groups in Finland during this time. Saraste is currently Principal Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, having started his tenure in 2023/24. He was Chief Conductor of the WDR Symphony orchestra from 2010-2019, and Music Director of the Oslo Philharmonic, where he was appointed Conductor Laureate. His previous positions also include the Music Directorshps of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, where he is Conductor Laureate and Toronto Symphony Orchestrah. He was the Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He was the Artistic Advisor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, and co-founded the Avanti! Orchestra and the Finnish Chamber Orchestra.

He has conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Dresden Staatskapelle, Berlin Staatskapelle, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the leading Scandinavian orchestras, among others. In North America he has conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic as well as Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

Saraste’s extensive discography includes the complete symphonies of Sibelius and Nielsen with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has made a number of critically acclaimed recordings for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra of works by Bartók, Dutilleux, Mussorgsky and Prokofiev for Warner Finlandia. His recordings of Mahler´s sixth symphony with the Oslo Philharmonic and Mahler’s ninth symphony with the WDR Symphony Orchestra have been critically acclaimed, as have his recordings with the same orchestra for Hänssler, which include discs of Schoenberg’s Pelleas and Melisande, Stravinsky’s The Firebird, and the complete symphonies of Brahms and Beethoven.

Jukka-Pekka Saraste has received the Pro Finlandia Prize, the Sibelius Medal, and the Finnish State Prize for Music. He holds honorary doctorates from York University, Toronto and Sibelius Academy, Helsinki.

In 2023 he was awarded Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

Paula Ikonen is a cultural producer living in Raseborg, Finland, whose background and passion is music. She graduated as a music pedagogue from Lahti Polytechnic in 2005 and finished her diploma, with flute as her main instrument, in 2010.

In 2016 Paula began her studies in cultural production at Humak University of Applied Sciences. She graduated with honours in 2021. Paula is especially interested in advancing and supporting cultural solidarity, equality and a humanistic and holistic approach in arts and culture, as well as organisational development and strategic planning.

She has worked as a producer since 2016 on projects such as Raseborg Pride Festival, Lauttasaari Street Festival, Fiskars Summer Festival, and others. From 2021-2023 she worked as a producer at the social circus association Sirkus Magenta.

Paula has been a part of the Fiskars Summer Festival team from the first year of the festival in 2020, and was engaged as Lead! Foundation’s Head of Production in March 2023.

Paul Hughes joined the BBC in 1999 and for 23 years was Director of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and Director of the BBC Singers for ten of those years. A graduate of Trinity College of Music where he studied piano, composition and conducting, Paul Hughes came to the BBC following key roles with The Academy of Ancient Music, IMG Artists, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra

Under his directorship, these ensembles toured the world, recorded extensively, expanded audiences live, on air and on social media, undertook a wide range of innovative education and audience development projects and championed new music, new composers and new artists.

Cultural change has been a hallmark of the ensembles Paul Hughes has managed, opening up access to new audiences and markets, and collaborating with the widest range of artists from the worlds of classical music, rock and pop, literature, and television.

A former Governor of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for nine years, Paul has a passion for discovering and nurturing the next generation of musicians and audiences and is a guest lecturer at several of the UK’s leading conservatoires, mentoring young conductors and composers, and lecturing on programming. He is the recipient of honorary membership from Trinity College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Royal College of Music and has recently been honoured by the Finnish government with the award of Knight First Class of the Order of the Lion, for services to Finnish music and musicians.

Paul Hughes is regularly invited as a juror for international competitions including the Svetlanov and Besançon conducting competitions, and piano competitions in N.America, Japan, UK, Spain and France. He is a member of the conducting faculty at the Royal College of Music, London; a regular mentor and teacher for the Dirigentforum and Dirigentløftet programmes in Norway, and is a guest lecturer at the Tokyo College of Music.

Paul joined the Lead Foundation team in 2021 and recently became Director of Programming.

Music has always been at the heart of my life. I started as an opera singer, performing on stages around the world, from the Finnish National Opera to the Philharmonic Orchestra of Hong Kong. These experiences gave me a deep love for music and an understanding of how it connects people.

Over time, I found myself drawn to the behind-the-scenes work that makes music happen. As Artistic Director of the Joroinen Music Festival and Producer at Tammisaari Summer Concerts, I discovered a passion for bringing artists and audiences together, creating unforgettable experiences.

My journey then led me to leadership roles in orchestras. At the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, I worked as Head of the Vocal Department, supporting singers and shaping artistic plans. Later, I took on the role of General Manager for both Joensuu and Vaasa City Orchestras, where I’ve had the privilege of ensuring that music remains accessible, inspiring, and relevant to the community.

Today, as General Manager of the Vaasa City Orchestra and a Board Member of the Association of Finnish Symphony Orchestras, I work to support musicians, develop artistic projects, and make sure that orchestral music continues to thrive.

Through it all, my goal has remained the same: to share the magic of music, whether from the stage or behind the scenes. Music brings people together, and I feel lucky to be part of that journey every day.

Born in France, Elise started playing the violin at the age of 6 and the viola at the age of 16. After earning a degree in Literature and Arts alongside her viola studies, she was admitted to the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels in 2019 to study viola performance with Vladimir Bukač.

During her musical studies, Elise developed an interest in administration, management, and organizational development while co-presiding over the Student Council of her school. Actively involved in the students' well-being, she secured various improvements in study conditions, co-founded an anti-discrimination committee, and curated several cultural events.

Elise made the transition to cultural management during the second year of her Masters in viola performance, which she was pursuing as an exchange student at the Sibelius Academy. She encountered LEAD! Foundation during its September 2023 international orchestra leadership project and started working as a production intern for the Fiskars Summer Festival. She was then appointed as an artistic planning coordinator and assistant to the director in the same year.

As a classically trained musician who has transitioned into cultural management, Elise possesses a broad, international perspective on the practical issues affecting musicians and the world of performance, as well as an insider's understanding of artists' needs. As a manager, she values empathy, a multidisciplinary approach, social inclusion, and the ability to implement concrete change. She is currently studying for a Master's degree in Cultural Policy and Management at Sciences Po, Paris.

Nicole was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and trained as a classical ballet dancer with the School of the Cleveland Ballet for 15 years. She spent quite a few years actively performing, and danced in numerous productions including The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coppélia, and many original works with the Cleveland Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and The Rock School for Dance Education. Following an injury, she attended The College of Wooster, graduating cum laude with with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Minor in Psychology. While in College, she was an active ballet teacher and choreographer for local studios and the college’s Dance Company. In addition to her knowledge of dance, her musicality was strengthened with lessons in violin, piano, and music theory. Nicole remains a passionate ballet teacher, and looks forward to returning to the School of the Cleveland Ballet (now Cleveland Ballet Theatre) as a guest faculty member this summer.

Following an internship and independent work in social media for Primo Artists management, Nicole discovered her interest in social media and its importance for artists. Now based in Vienna, Austria, she combines her passion for music and dance with expertise in digital strategy, running the social media for arts-related individuals and groups including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Cleveland Ballet Theatre. Nicole also serves as Secretary, Treasurer, Content Manager, Board Member/Jurer for the Janos Starker Foundation, where she skillfully handles inquiries, organizes applications, and enhances the foundation’s presence.

Earlier in her career, Nicole worked with the Cleveland Ballet Orchestra as an Assistant to the Music Advisor, where she coordinated logistics and facilitated score preparation, further enriching her understanding of the performing arts industry, and preparing her for the position of Artistic Coordinator.