Weekly Highlights 7th November 2025

Purcell Student Selected for the NCO for 2nd Consecutive Year

Congratulations to Jarvis (Year 8), who has once again been offered a place in the National Children’s Orchestra (NCO) for 2026. Having performed this year in the U12 Orchestra on the French horn – his second study – Jarvis will return next year to the U13 Orchestra on his first study instrument, the violin.

It is a wonderful achievement to be selected for the NCO for a second consecutive year and we are delighted for Jarvis.
 

Emily Beynon Masterclass

On Friday 10th October, we were delighted to welcome flute virtuoso, Emily Beynon, who came and delivered a fabulous masterclass for our woodwind students. Emily, who has been Principal Flute of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam for over 30 years, shared her expertise first with Purcell flautists Rose, Kiah and Lia and Year 12 oboists Natalie and Emily, before moving on to coach our wonderful Bassoon Quartet and Wind Quintet.

A huge thank you to Ms Shah for accompanying the class so brilliantly as always, and a further thanks to Emily for such an inspiring afternoon of wind playing!

Día de los Muertos in the Dining Hall

On Tuesday 4th November, our catering team and Art Department came together to transform Purcell’s Dining Hall into a vibrant celebration of life and remembrance. Our talented students had created colourful decorations inspired by traditional Día de los Muertos imagery, while the catering team served up a Mexican feast of spicy chicken tacos, bean burritos and, of course, churros.

Our thanks to all involved!

Alexandra Ridout: From Purcell to New York – and Back Again

Purcell alumna Alexandra Ridout continues to make remarkable strides on the international jazz scene. Now based in New York, where she has lived for the past four years, Alexandra has firmly established herself as one of the most exciting young trumpeters of her generation.

Following two years completing her Master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music, she has become a fixture of New York’s vibrant jazz community – performing almost nightly, collaborating with leading artists, and touring extensively across the US and Europe.

Recent highlights include a West Coast tour with Grammy-winning vocalist Samara Joy, numerous festival appearances and features in major jazz publications across the UK, USA, Germany and Austria. Her growing list of accolades is equally impressive: BBC Young Musician Jazz Award (2016), British Jazz Awards ‘Rising Star’ (2018), Keep an Eye International Jazz Award ‘Best Soloist’ (2023) and recognition at the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition (2023). She has also been selected for the prestigious Next Jazz Legacy programme through New Music USA (2025).

Alexandra’s artistry has been widely praised by peers and critics alike. World renowned bassist Matt Penman describes her as ‘an original voice from the first note,’ while acclaimed trumpeter Dave Douglas calls her ‘a rare musician with broad imagination who lives deeply inside her instrument.’ Fellow alumnus Kit Downes adds, ‘Alex Ridout is the real deal – her musicianship keeps growing and growing.’

This November, Alexandra returns to the UK for a headline tour with her New York Quartet, coinciding with her appearance at the Guildhall Jazz Festival/EFG London Jazz Festival. The quartet – featuring Yvonne Rogers (piano), Simón Willson (double bass) and David Sirkis (drums) – brings together some of the most exciting talent from the New York jazz scene, each with credentials including collaborations with artists such as Bill Frisell, Linda May Han Oh, Ethan Iverson and Joel Ross. Alongside the tour, Alexandra will be leading workshops at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians.

Alexandra’s UK Tour Dates: November 2025
Saturday 8th November – 38Riv, Paris
Wednesday 12th November – The Spin, Oxford
Friday 14th November – With Yvonne Rogers at sYp, London
Saturday 15th November – Aylesbury Methodist Church Hall
Sunday 16th November (3pm) – Dawkes Music, Maidenhead
Monday 17th November – NQ Jazz, Manchester
Tuesday 18th November – Milton Court Concert Hall, London – Guildhall Jazz Festival
Wednesday 19th November – Guildford Jazz
Thursday 20th November – Cambridge Jazz Festival

On returning to New York, Alexandra and her quartet will head into the studio to record her much-anticipated debut album – an exciting milestone in a career that shows no signs of slowing down.

Thomas Kelly to Perform Rachmaninov with the Oxford Symphony Orchestra
Purcell alumnus Thomas Kelly will return to the concert platform in Oxford Town Hall this month, performing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Oxford Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Robert Max. The concert takes place on Sunday 23rd November 2025 at 7.30pm.

Thomas, who has been delighting audiences with performances of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the orchestra in recent years, now turns to the composer’s final piano concerto – a richly complex and exhilarating work that combines Rachmaninov’s signature lyricism with daring modernist colours. The programme also includes Stravinsky’s witty ballet suite Jeu de Cartes and Tchaikovsky’s deeply emotional Symphony No. 6 (‘Pathétique’).

Tickets are available via the Oxford Symphony Orchestra website.

 

Moving Alumna Moment at International Piano Competition

Purcell School alumna Yumeka Nakagawa captured international attention at the recent 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw with her deeply moving interpretation of Chopin’s Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major, Op. 28 – the celebrated ‘Raindrop’ prelude. During her performance, Yumeka became visibly emotional, tears falling as she played, in a moment that resonated powerfully with audiences worldwide. Although she was not among the top prize-winners – with first place awarded to Eric Lu (USA), second to Kevin Chen (Canada) and third to Zitong Wang (China) – her heartfelt playing left a lasting impression.

 

New book on Steve Reich to be edited by Purcell’s Ryan Hepburn and feature Purcell Percussionist

Ryan Hepburn, Purcell’s classical percussion teacher, has been offered a contract by Cambridge University Press to edit a major new collection on American composer Steve Reich. Reich, who turns 90 in October 2026, is widely considered the most important living composer. His influence has been enormous for swathes of musicians and composers, through works like Drumming, Music for 18 Musicians and Different Trains.

This new, large-scale book, which will draw together essays and reflections on Reich and his music, will celebrate Reich’s legacy while giving readers insights into his catalogue and persona, with Ryan’s own written contributions on Reich’s Jewish identity and social commentary pieces. Other authors in the book include legendary percussionist and original member of Steve Reich and Musicians Russell Hartenberger, conductor Brad Lubman, singer Micaela Haslam, composers Nico Muhly and Timo Andres, as well as a host of well-known scholars on Reich’s music.

Furthermore, one of The Purcell’s School’s student percussionists will contribute a short, reflective essay to the book. Having worked on an essay competition piece with Ryan for the RPS Competition Award, Hannah (Year 12) will have her beautifully crafted piece about her experience of rehearsing and performing Reich’s Mallet Quartet at Purcell featured in the book, alongside others by authors including composers David Lang, Michael Gordon and video artist Beryl Korot.

The book is earmarked for publication in 2028 and further details will be available from Cambridge University Press in due course. What exciting news, our congratulations to Ryan and Hannah.

 

Purcell Physiotherapist to Speak at Youth Music Organisations Away Day

We are delighted to share that Dr Sarah Upjohn, Purcell’s Physiotherapist, has been invited to speak at the National Youth Music Organisations (NYMO) Away Day this Friday at Cecil Sharp House, home of the Vaughan Williams Library in Camden.

The event will bring together representatives from Arts Council England and fifteen leading organisations in youth music, including the National Youth Orchestra (NYO), National Children’s Orchestra (NCO), Orchestras for All and Music Mark. Dr Upjohn will be presenting her research and ongoing work on the wellbeing of young musicians – an area in which she is widely recognised for her expertise.

 

Concerts Review

Hatfield House Music Festival – Family Concert: 11 October 2025
A selected group of talented Purcell students had the honour of performing to an appreciative audience that included many young children at Hatfield House Music Festival Family Concert. The programme was very diverse – from Mozart to Ravel – delivered in a variety of formats from piano solo, harp solo, to a small chamber ensemble. The standout moment of the concert was Tombeau de Ravel, composed by Purcell’s Composer-in-Association, Robert Saxton. Many congratulations to all who took part: April, Ayman, Brad, Emily, Harry, Kiah, Lilly, Matias, Prince, Rhys, Selin, Skye, Teresa, Theo, Tristan and Stephanie. Your musicianship was sure to have made a lasting impression on the young audience and their families.

Composers’ Concert: Wednesday 15 October 2025

Purcell’s Head of Composition, Alison Cox, has provided a fantastic account and review of the Composers’ Concert below.

‘On Wednesday 15th October, there was a distinct buzz of excitement around the school as we approached 7pm. Compositions were all rehearsed and ready and all arrangements were in place as the audience began to arrive.

Those of us running the concert were slightly apprehensive because, due to the popularity of this event and the massive amount of creativity in The Purcell School, we were representing the work of 19 young composers aged between 11 and 18! We were hoping that such a large amount of new music would not be too exhausting for the audience . . . We misjudged them! The CP Hall ground floor was packed with enthusiastic parents, family members, friends, students, staff and supporters, who gave each young composer a huge amount of positive applause after each performance. We were so grateful to them, and all the young composers were amazed and delighted by the warmth of this reception.

Mentioning a few of excellent pieces presented in this programme; it was great to hear three beautiful new works by our youngest and newest composers in Year 7 – Aedan, Jiyar and Sophia. Another new composer, Jonah (Year 10) presented us with a most interesting piano piece, skilfully performed by Luca. We are very fortunate at The Purcell School to have an unusually large number of talented composers in Year 11 – in this particular concert, we were able to enjoy some accomplished, characterful pieces by Samsara, Ambrus, Yoko, Daniel, Hiroatsu, Arthur and Tate – all in Year 11!

Our Sixth Form composers dominated the second half of the programme, and it was exciting to hear the quality and sophistication of their work. Everyone greatly enjoyed A Touch of Argentina by Nemunis, as well as impressive, evocative electronic works by Gerard and Tim, and accomplished acoustic works from Dima, Mac, Matilda and Kaelan.

Huge thanks to all those who helped – our amazing composition teachers, Daniel Fardon, Sylvia Lim, Gareth Moorcraft, Simon Speare and Jacques Cohen. We could not have coped without our ‘tech gurus’ – Jacob Eccles and Dima. Thanks also to the concert management team and especially to all the student performers who worked SO hard to help the composers make the Composers’ Concert such a special and memorable occasion!’

 

Choral Evensong at St Albans Cathedral: Tuesday 4 November 2025

On 4 November, the Purcell Chamber Choir travelled to St Albans Cathedral to sing at evensong. Under the direction of Tom Winpenny, and accompanied by organists Phoebe Tak Man Chow and our student Arthur, the choir delivered a beautiful and moving service. Congratulations to all our Chamber Choir members for their wonderful performance.

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Lunchtime Concerts
W/C: 13 October 2025
Haydn and Vaughan Williams were performed by Yeju and Aleks on Monday. Schumann, Haydn, Chopin and Liszt by Patrick, Krystal and Ryosuke on Tuesday.

Larissa led the JCS concert on Wednesday supported by Gerard, Matias, Kaelan and Jonas with a set including two originals alongside Jeff Buckley, Fiona Apple and Lorde songs.

Thursday’s performance consisted of a Finzi song, Hubay, Chopin and Liszt pieces performed by Daniel, Theo and Patchubun. Well done to everyone for a great week of concerts.

 

W/C: 3 November 2025
Daria and Lavender performed piano pieces of Chopin, Bach and Beethoven for us on Tuesday. A varied JCS set on Wednesday comprised of a gentle start with Willow’s own songs Yearn and Supernova, followed by Dom, Ivan and Pete performing one of Dom‘s songs, with the concert finishing with upbeat Chappell Roan and Paramore numbers performed by Lia, Clara, Woody and Mahla with the audience on their feet attempting the dance routines provided by Lia!

Thursday’s concert was also a fine balance of music, from solo Bach performed by Isaac, vocal pieces sung by Mac, and Brad completing the week of concerts with a movement from a Mozart horn concerto.

Forthcoming Events

In addition to those highlighted events below, please visit our online Concerts and Events Guide here.

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10th November – Afternoon Concert at Benslow Music
Time: 3.00pm
Venue: Benslow Music, Benslow Lane, Hitchin SG4 9RB
Tickets: £10 from Benslow Music box office here

Programme:
Mozart String Quartet K575
Beethoven 32 Variations in c minor, WoO 80
A.Alyabyev The Nightingale
Mozart Deh Vieni non tardar from The Marriage of Figaro
Gilbert and Sullivan I cannot tell what this love may be from Patience
Bach English Suite No.2, Prelude
Haydn Sonata in E-flat major, Hob. XVI:49, 1st movement
Schumann Abegg Variations
Vassily Brandt Concertpiece No. 2, Op. 12 for trumpet and piano
Sarasate Carmen Fantasy

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11th November – Remembrance Concert: Purcell Wind Orchestra and Chamber Choir
Time: 1.10pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required

The Purcell Symphonic Wind Orchestra and Chamber Choir present a Concert of Remembrance.

Please do come and join us for this special concert.

Programme to include:
Rob Wiffin Evening Hymn and Sunset
Elgar Nimrod
John Williams arr. Paul Lavender Hymn to the Fallen
JS Bach Trio Sonata no. 1 in E flat BWV 525 ii) Adagio iii) Allegro
Coutain Westron Wynde

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12th November – Wind, Brass and Percussion Concert
Time: 5.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required

Please do join our wind, brass and percussion players in a concert showcasing these departments.
The concert will include solo and smaller ensemble performances.

Programme:
Schumann Fantasiestucke for clarinet, Op. 73, 1st & 2nd movements
Debussy arr. Londeix (for saxophone) Syrinx
Mozart Horn Concerto No. 4, 1st movement
Fasch Bassoon Sonata, 3rd & 4th movements
J.S. Bach Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor

Brass Quintet: James Maynard Fanfare
Oboe Duo: Mozart Le Nozze di Figaro, Non piu andrai
Trumpet Ensemble: Gabrieli Canzona per Sonare No. 3
Saxophone & Piano Trio: Jean Baptiste Singelee Duo Concertant 1st movement
Bassoon Quartet: Allan Stephenson Divertimento
Clarinet Quintet: Gordon Jacob Scherzetto, Pavane & Gopak
Brass Ensemble: Steven Verhelst 10forBrass Fanfare

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21st November – Lower School Concert
Time: 2.45pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required

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26th November – Session Bands and Songwriters Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required

Students from the Commercial and Popular Music Department present an evening of exciting original music mixed with soulful covers, from the 1960’s through to today’s hit songs. Tonight we feature songs from our talented Songwriters, followed by sets from the dynamic Session Bands.

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27th November – An Evening at Malverleys
Time: 6.00pm
Venue: Malverleys Farm & Dining, East Woodhay
Tickets: Ticket information is available here

An exclusive evening of inspiring food and remarkable music featuring a canape reception, 3-course meal and intimate performance by the Purcell students.

Don’t miss the chance to purchase your ticket for this special event.

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3rd December – Lunchtime Concert at St Mary le strand
Time: 1.00pm
Venue: St Mary le Strand, Women’s Royal Navy Service Church, St James’s
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required.

Purcell’s talented pianists perform a lunchtime concert at St Mary le Strand.
Take a break in your day and join us for an hour of exquisite music-making.

Free entry – all are welcome.

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3rd December – An Evening of Jazz, with special guest Anthony Kerr (Vibraphone)
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required.

The Jazz Department presents an evening of Jazz, featuring the Purcell Jazz Ensembles and Big Band, who will be joined by special guest star Anthony Kerr. A multiple BBC Jazz Award winner, Anthony is known as one of the UK’s finest Jazz Vibraphone players. He has performed and recorded internationally with Georgie Fame, Charlie Watts, BBC Big Band, Robbie Williams, Joe Lovano, Jacqui Dankworth and Courtney Pine. Tonight features student-led arrangements of well known Jazz Standards, showcasing their improvisation and ensemble interaction.

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8th December – St Paul’s Evensong
Time: 5.00pm
Venue: St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required.