Weekly Highlights 12th June 2026

Posted: 12th June 2026

Purcell Composer Celebrates International Composition Success

Congratulations to Luca (Year 11, composition) on two significant recent achievements as a young composer.

At the Clarinet Choir International Composition Competition, held as part of the Portus Naonis International Clarinet Festival in Italy, Luca’s Fantasia for Clarinet Choir was awarded Second Prize and a Certificate of Merit. Open to composers of all ages, including professionals, the competition did not award a First Prize, meaning Luca achieved the highest overall score.

Luca also won the 14–18 age category composition competition at the Elgar Festival with his work Intermezzo Variations. The piece was performed by professional brass players from the English Symphony Orchestra at Worcester Cathedral, and Luca was interviewed during the event by Classic FM presenter Zeb Soanes.

Luca studies composition at The Purcell School with Simon Speare.

Waves 2026 – Out Now

We are delighted to share the latest edition of Waves, The Purcell School’s multimedia magazine.

Now in its fourth year, Waves celebrates the extraordinary creativity, curiosity and individuality of our students and staff. This year’s edition brings together an inspiring collection of artwork, photography, poetry, short stories, essays, musicology, composition, reviews and puzzles, reflecting the rich artistic and intellectual life of our community.

From explorations of musical history and newly restored treasures in the Liszt Room, to striking visual art, original creative writing and thought-provoking reflections on culture, history and identity, Waves 2026 showcases the remarkable breadth of talent across the School.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Dr Daniel Fardon, Staff Editor, whose vision, dedication and commitment have made Waves possible. We are also immensely grateful to our Student Editors, Carla (Year 12), Grace (Year 12) and Hannah (Year 12), who worked tirelessly to bring together this memorable edition. Their enthusiasm, creativity and hard work have helped create a publication that truly reflects the spirit of The Purcell School.

We hope you enjoy reading this latest edition and discovering the many voices, ideas and achievements that make The Purcell School such a vibrant and creative place.

Please do click on the document below and dive into Waves!

Waves: Issue 4

IMPULSE Outreach Inspires Young Musicians in Dover

From 3 to 5 June, members of Purcell’s IMPULSE Outreach group travelled to Dover, where they delivered workshops and performances for local primary and secondary school students.

Working directly with around 90 young people in workshops and reaching many more through concerts, the students shared their enthusiasm for music while encouraging younger musicians to develop their confidence and aspirations. The project culminated in a series of performances attended by pupils, teachers and members of the local community.

Reflecting on the visit, Peter Cook, Director of Learning and Participation for Deal Music & Arts, praised the students for inspiring the children they worked with and creating meaningful musical experiences that will have a lasting impact. He also highlighted the way the IMPULSE programme empowers Purcell students through leadership, communication and educational outreach.

The trip was a fantastic example of music’s ability to connect communities and inspire future generations of musicians. Congratulations to the IMPULSE Outreach students: Julianna, Ethan, Clara, Gianntino, Bettina, Carla, Daria, Kate, Gabriella, Grace, Natalie and Rozalia (all Year 12).

Concert Review

Audience Praise for St James’s Lunchtime Concert
Following a lunchtime concert at St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens on 9th June, the School was delighted to receive warm feedback from an audience member.

The attendee praised the performances by Kira (Year 11, piano), Kevin (Year 11, piano) and Stephanie (Year 11, piano), describing herself and her guests as “absolutely delighted” and “very impressed” by the students’ musicianship.

Particularly noted was the passion and enjoyment the students brought to their performances despite the pressures of the examination season. We are always grateful to hear how deeply our students’ music-making is appreciated by audiences beyond the School community.

Lunchtime Concerts W/B 8th June
On Monday, Stelios presented a piano recital of Beethoven and Chopin. Tuesday, Lilly, Elly and Zev performed Weber, Tchaikovsky and Liszt. On Wednesday, Ivan led the jazz concert in the JCS supported by Miles, Gianntino and Ethan and on Thursday a Purcell Impulse outreach group presented an inspiring educational concert. Well done to April, Aryo, Ayman, Emily, Filip, Hannah, Khanui, Lilly, Rebecca, Reeka and Trevor for this.

Forthcoming Events

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

16 June – St Bride’s Lunchtime Concert
Time: 1.15pm
Venue: St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, London
Tickets: Admission is free of charge. No booking required.

Purcell students perform at a lunchtime concert at St Bride’s Church, in the heart of London.

18 June – St Mary’s Watford Lunchtime Concert
Time: 12.30pm
Venue: St Mary’s Church, 1 Church Street, Watford WD18 0EG
Tickets: Admission is free of charge. No booking required.

Purcell guitarists and singers present a lunchtime concert at St Mary’s Church in Watford.

22 June – Singers Soiree
Time: 5.00pm
Venue: Recital Room, The Purcell School
Tickets: Admission is free of charge. No booking required.

23 June – Claire Martin with The Purcell School at PizzaExpress Live (Chelsea)
Time: Doors 6.30pm | Show 8.00pm
Venue: Pizza Express, The Pheasantry, 152 King’s Rd, London SW3 4NX, UK
Tickets: Tickets are £20 and available from PizzaExpress Live

Join us for a special evening of world-class jazz as acclaimed vocalist Claire Martin performs alongside the exceptional young musicians of The Purcell School at PizzaExpress Live in Chelsea.

Under the direction of saxophonist and Head of Jazz Simon Allen, and supported by a faculty of leading jazz performers and educators, students at The Purcell School refine their craft to an outstanding level. Many go on to study at top conservatoires and build successful careers as professional musicians.

An eight-time British Jazz Award winner, Claire Martin has been a defining voice in UK jazz for over three decades. She began her career at just 19 and soon fulfilled a lifelong ambition to perform at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho. Since signing with Linn Records in 1990, Claire has released 18 acclaimed albums and collaborated with some of the most celebrated names in jazz, including Martin Taylor, John Martyn, Stéphane Grappelli, Kenny Barron, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and Jim Mullen.

Claire has toured extensively around the world with her trio and has appeared as a featured soloist with leading orchestras such as the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, BBC Big Band and BBC Concert Orchestra. She also co-presented BBC Radio 3’s flagship programme Jazz Line-Up for 17 years.

For this one-night-only performance, Claire joins forces with The Purcell School’s outstanding jazz musicians to present a specially curated programme celebrating highlights from her remarkable career.

24 June – Electric Eclectic Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Admission is free of charge. No booking required.

The concert features new, stylistically wide ranging compositions for electronics, string quartet, vocals and visuals. Inspired by the beauty of numbers as a special tribute to our departing Head of Maths, Alex Stone, it includes music for film, esoteric electronica and disco strings with a surprise event for acoustic ensemble titled Enigma, a celebration of the hidden universe of numbers!

26 June – St James’s Piccadilly Concert
Time: 1.00pm
Venue: St James’s Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly, St James
Tickets: Admission is free of charge. No booking required.

29 June – Lunchtime Concert at Proms at St Jude’s
Time: 12.00pm
Venue: St Jude’s, Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 7AH
Tickets: Admission is free of charge. No booking required.

Purcell students perform a one-hour lunchtime concert of chamber music at the Proms at St Jude’s.

Programme to include:
Chopin Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante Op.22
Franck Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano
Rachmaninov Trio élégiaque No. 1

For further information about the venue, visit the Proms at St Jude’s website.

1 July – Anna Avramidou plays Tchaikovsky with The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Milton Court, 1 Milton Street, London EC2Y 9BH
Tickets: Tickets are £22 / £11 (Conc.) and can be purchased here

The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra returns to Milton Court with a vibrant programme featuring the first symphonies of Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich.

Prokofiev composed his Symphony No. 1, the ‘Classical Symphony’, in 1917 during the upheaval of the Russian Revolution. The work draws on the clarity and charm of Haydn while adding Prokofiev’s distinctive neoclassical wit.

Shostakovich wrote his Symphony No. 1 at just 19 as his graduation work at the Leningrad Conservatory. Both symphonies reveal the striking brilliance and individuality of these composers in their youth—an inspiring reflection of the creative potential nurtured at The Purcell School.

Featured soloist, Anna Avramidou, a Year 13 pianist at The Purcell School, is rapidly gaining international recognition. She won the prestigious Cooper International Piano Competition in 2025 and has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra. Her accolades also include prizes at the Clara Haskil Piano Competition and the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Weimar.

As the winner of The Purcell School’s Senior Concerto Competition, Anna will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, one of the most thrilling and monumental works in the piano repertoire.

Programme:
Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25 Classical
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B♭ minor, Op. 23 Anna Avramidou, piano
Shostakovich Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10

2 July – Mozart: The Magic Flute Opera
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell Hall
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required.

5 July – Last Night of the Proms at St Jude’s with Helen Charleston
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: St Jude’s, Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 7AH
Tickets: Tickets are from £40 and available from the Proms at St Jude’s website

The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra joins forces with the dazzling mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston for the Last Night of Proms at St Jude’s.

Traditionally a sold-out occasion, the Last Night promises all the excitement and spectacle of a classic prom celebration. This year’s programme includes:

Walton Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
Elgar Sea Pictures
Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 “Classical”
Mozart Così fan tutte: “Ah scostati! . . . Smanie implacabili”

Conducted by Paul Hoskins, Director of Music at The Purcell School.

7 July – The Purcell School in concert with Vanessa Haynes at PizzaExpress Live (Holborn
Time: Doors 6.30pm | Show 8.00pm
Venue: PizzaExpress 99 high Holborn, London WC1V 9LF
Tickets: Tickets are from £20 and available from the PizzaExpress Live website

The Purcell School Session Bands team up with acclaimed UK vocalist Vanessa Haynes for a special concert of Soul classics and original songs. Cutting her teeth as backing vocalist for artists such as Van Morrison and Chaka Khan, Haynes became front woman of legendary jazz funk outfit, Incognito, in 2008, touring with the band for over 14 years.

8 July – Sumer is Icumen In – Celebrating Alison Cox
Time: 6.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. Please click here to book.

Join us for a panel discussion about The Purcell School over the years. Alison Cox (Head of Composition: 1988-Present), Panos Fellas (former Head of Science and Housemaster: 1997-2024) and Ed Longstaff (Academic Music & Choir: 1993-2024) will walk us through the history of the School, chaired by Paul Bambrough, Principal.

During the evening, the panel will discuss highlights from their vast careers totalling almost 100 years at the School and share insights about the institution in its various forms.

Expect to hear tales of concerts, boarding anecdotes, memorable students and much more as these stalwarts of The Purcell School take us on a journey through the Purcell years!

Following the panel discussion, join us for a very special concert. 38 Composition alumni and staff have each written a one or two minute piece based on ‘Sumer is icumen in’ and will be performed by Purcell students. This is the oldest known musical composition featuring six-part polyphony. The manuscript in which it is preserved was copied between 1261 and 1264.

This will be Alison Cox‘s final Composition Concert before her retirement at the end of this academic year. Alison will retire after 38 years at the School, including 32 years running the Composition Department that she created in 1994.

“Retiring from my position as Head of Composition at The Purcell School has been an immensely difficult and almost heartbreaking decision for me to make, because, when I arrived at the school 38 years ago as a 32-year-old music teacher, it was impossible to imagine the huge impact it would have upon the rest of my career” Alison Cox.

9 July – Lichfield Festival Lunchtime Concert
Time: 12.00pm
Venue: St Michael’s Church, 48 Church Street, Boley Park
Tickets: £16 and available to purchase from the festival’s website.

The Purcell School students open the Lichfield Festival 2026, with pieces for solo piano, string quartet and piano quintet. Part of our America250 season, this programme will include works by Barber, Prokofiev and extracts from Dvorak’s American Quartet.

Programme:
Prokofiev Sarcasms, Op. 17
Barber Waltz from Souvenirs, Op. 28
Dvorak Excerpts from String Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81 ‘American’