Welcome to the latest edition of Purcell’s Weekly Highlights!
César Franck International Piano Competition
Year 13 pianist Perren-Luc has triumphed in the recent prestigious César Franck International Piano Competition (CFIPC) in Belgium, taking First Prize in Category D.
Perren-Luc joined The Purcell School in 2020 and studies with Vitaly Pisarenko. This is a wonderful achievement, and all at Purcell are proud to celebrate it. Congratulations, Perren-Luc.
York Minster Grand Organ Composers’ Competition
Year 12 organist and composer Samuel has won first place in a competition to celebrate the return of York Minster’s Grand Organ following a once-in-a-century £2m refurbishment of the instrument completed in 2021.
Samuel’s winning piece, Festival Toccata on ‘In dulci jubilo’, received its premiere during the Minster’s Nine Lessons and Carol services on 22nd and 24th December 2021, and the composition will be published by Banks Music Publications.
The competition, which was run in partnership with the Cathedral Music Trust and Banks Music Publications, attracted more than 60 entries from amateur and professional musicians across two categories – aged 19 and over and 18 and under – so we are particularly proud of Samuel’s success. Our congratulations!
Further information about the competition can be found here.
Maki Sekiya
Alumna and pianist Maki Sekiya will be giving her inaugural solo recital at the Wigmore Hall on Sunday 30th January at 11.30am, playing Skryabin, Somei Satoh, Debussy and Chopin.
Maki performs regularly in Oxfordshire and across the rest of the country, and, before Covid, in Russia, Eastern Europe and Japan. She is presently also Musician in Residence at Green Templeton College.
For more information about Maki, or to book tickets to her recital at Wigmore Hall, please use the links below.
Maki Sekiya Website
Wigmore Hall Box Office
Purcell Alumni Afternoon
On Sunday 6th February, from 1.00 to 6.00pm, we will be holding the inaugural Purcell Alumni Afternoon here at the School.
The afternoon will be a celebration of past students and of all the amazing things that have happened in the last 60 years.
Highlights will include concerts of Mozart and Brahms, as well as a new work by Rob Spearing, given by Nicholas Daniel, Robert Cohen, Enrico Alvares, Janice Graham, Julia Graham, David Murphy, Becky Holt and Debbie Shah. There will also be opportunities to reconnect with friends and fellow alumni; take tours of the campus; meet and hear from current students about life at Purcell today; enjoy refreshments in the dining hall; and much more.
A complete schedule for the afternoon will be available soon. In the meantime, if you are an alumni and would like to attend, please register your interest by completing the registration form here.
We are excited to be able to welcome our alumni back to the school. Please do share news of the event.
Date: Sunday 6th February 2022
Time: 1.00 pm to 6.00 pm
Venue: The Purcell School, Aldenham Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 2TS
