Earlier this month The Purcell School presented a whole day of stunning music-making in memory of Oliver Knussen, with four concerts given by over 100 outstanding Purcell students, staff, alumni and guests at the Southbank Centre.
Oliver was a Purcell student before he became the famous, beloved giant of the music world. These programmes honour his memory and all he did to promote music in the school, in the UK and throughout the world. Three daytime recitals took place in the Purcell Room followed by an orchestral concert in the QEH in the evening, showcasing music with links to Knussen, as well as Beethoven’s 250th anniversary plus Sonya Knussen, the composer’s daughter and a Purcell alumna, narrating Britten’s ‘Young Person’s Guide’.
Over the next week, we will be presenting the concerts online for you to watch from home. Each day, a new concert will be premiered at 7pm but make sure to watch out for all the great highlights and clips we release throughout the day! We will be kicking off this fantastic event with ‘The Purcell School Celebrates Oliver Knussen’ at 7pm tomorrow night straight from our YouTube channel