Biz news exclusive: London agency sheds artists and staff

The mid-sized agency ICA Artists will cease to exist some time this month.

It is reborn as Stephen Wright Management with a handful of artists and a small support staff. Quite a few former artists and staff are now pursuing other opportunities.

The artists retained by SWM are:

conductors Joseph Bastian, Dylan Corlay, Laurence Equilbey, Jacek Kaspszyk, Cem Mansur, John Nelson, Eduard Topchjan,Hugh Wolff

violinists Alena Baeva, Kyung Wha Chung, Moné Hattori, Yi-Ja Susanne Hou, Elina Vähälä

pianists Stephen Kovacevich, Anna Tsybuleva

and cellist Alexander Chaushian.

ICA Artists was the successor to the Van Walsum Agency after its founder sold out to Stephen Wright, former head of Harold Holt Ltd and founder of IMG Artists Europe. But ICA was neither mega nor boutique and Wright’s decision to reshape it as SWM makes good sense in current circumstances.