Weekly Highlights 16th May 2025

Posted: 16th May 2025

UKMT Maths Intermediate Challenge – Follow on Results

We are delighted to announce that four students have achieved further medals in the follow on rounds of the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge.

In the Year 9 competition, entitled the Grey Kangaroo, David won a Silver Medal and Victor won a Bronze Medal.

In the Year 10 competition, the Pink Kangaroo, William won the Silver Medal whilst Kira and Trevor both achieved a Bronze medal.

We are delighted for all of the students who took part and join our hugely proud Maths faculty – Mrs Stone, Ms Shah and Mrs Holmes – in congratulating our great mathematicians!

Purcell Harpist Enjoys Success at North London Festival

We are delighted to share some news from the North London Festival of Music, Speech and Drama. Year 7 harpist Stephanie, who studies at Purcell under Karen Vaughan, recently competed in the Festival’s harp section and was delighted to be awarded 2nd prize in her category – which, amongst all the harp classes, had the highest number of competitors.

Stephanie’s talents also shone in composition. She won 1st prize in the Junior Composition Competition with her original piece for harp and voice, It Is Not Always May. Composed over the Easter break, the piece was inspired by the poem of the same name by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Stephanie’s work has been recognised further with an invitation to perform her composition at the End-of-Festival Concert on 20th May.

We congratulate Stephanie on these outstanding achievements and wish her all the best for her upcoming performance!

Purcell Bassoonist Wins Woodwind Prize at Cambridge Festival

Congratulations to Lilly (Year 11), who recently performed at the Prize Winners’ Concert of the Cambridge Community Music Festival. Her performance earned her the Ely Recorder Trophy for Best Woodwind Performance, a fantastic recognition of her skill and musicianship.

In addition to this accolade, Lilly has been invited to perform at a CCMF Showcase Lunchtime Concert in Cambridge this August, offering another exciting opportunity to share her music with a wider audience.

Well done to Lilly on this well-deserved success!

Purcell Pianist performs as Soloist with the Watford Symphony Orchestra

Upper sixth classical pianist Phoebe was honoured to be invited to perform Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with The Watford Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stuart Dunlop in their sold out Summer Concert last weekend. The atmosphere was amazing and she received a standing ovation and a wonderful applause from the incredible audience at St Luke’s Church. She would like to thank all who made the evening so special and for the incredible orchestra, conductor and flowers. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to perform to such a large audience exactly one year after performing the same concerto in Italy aged 16! Leading up to the concert Phoebe was interviewed on Wycombe Sounds on the Classics Count Radio Show by the award winning presenters Martin Clarke and Heather Harrison, which aired on Sunday 4th May and can be found on SoundCloud here. Phoebe studies piano with Head of Keyboard William Fong.

Purcell Pianist Triumphs at London International Chopin Competition

We are delighted to celebrate the success of Kevin (Year 10), who was recently honoured at the London International Chopin Competition 2025. At the Musical Moments Award Ceremony, held on 11th May at the prestigious Ognisko Polskie – The Polish Hearth Club in London – Kevin was named the winner of three Festival Category Awards: Nocturne, Polonaise, and Scherzo.

Performing to a full house alongside other category winners from the UK, USA, Poland and beyond, Kevin impressed the audience with his musical maturity and artistry. He studies piano at Purcell with Florian Mitrea.

Congratulations to Kevin on this outstanding accomplishment!

Purcell Pianist Performs Mozart in Italy

We are proud to share that Year 13 pianist Yazdi recently travelled to Italy to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C major, K.415 with the Gli Archi del CDM Orchestra. The concert, conducted by Federico Biscione, took place on 11th May in Tivoli, Rome, and marked the opening of the International Competition for Youth ‘Dinu Lipatti’.

Yazdi’s performance was met with a warm and enthusiastic reception from the audience.

Congratulations to Yazdi on this wonderful international appearance!

Purcell Physiotherapist to Present at International Conference

We are proud to share that Dr Sarah Upjohn, Purcell’s Physiotherapist, has been invited to present at the 9th ‘Art in Motion’ Conference at the University of Music and Theatre in Munich. The conference, taking place this week, brings together international experts to explore the theme ‘The Drive to Thrive’.

Dr Upjohn will join esteemed colleagues Professor Jane Ginsborg (Royal Northern College of Music) and Dr Susannah Cohen (post-doctoral researcher and performance coach) to deliver a joint presentation titled ‘How Musicians Thrive and Flourish: Healthy Music Making Through the Life Course’.

Her contribution focuses on the wellbeing of young, pre-conservatoire musicians, drawing on her extensive work not only at The Purcell School but also with organisations including the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain (NCO), Royal College of Music Junior Department (RCM-JD), The Benedetti Foundation, Sistema Scotland, and youth ensembles from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

We wish Dr Upjohn a successful and inspiring conference and look forward to hearing more about her work in supporting healthy music-making for the next generation of performers.

Concerts Review

Benslow Music Trust Afternoon Concert followed by an event at The Old Palace
On 12th May, a group of Year 12 string players, along with a harpsichordist, delivered a highly accomplished concert featuring an all-Baroque programme, directed by violinist Lucy Russell, at Benslow Music Trust. Movements from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – ‘Spring’ and ‘Summer’ – were performed by different student soloists, each showcasing their individual artistry.

To conclude the day, the ensemble travelled across Hertfordshire to The Old Palace at Hatfield House, where they provided musical entertainment for a corporate event. Performing as a chamber group without a conductor, they captivated the audience with their poise and musicianship.

As the event organiser put it, ‘The icing on the really lovely cake was the superb, scintillating performances from The Purcell School at dinner,’ and ‘The rendition will live long in the memory of those who were there.’

Massive congratulations to Aleks, Asher, Fabienne, Harry, Isaac, Theo, Madeleine, Sofiia, Sonya, Teresa and Yeju.

Chiltern Arts Festival at Hughenden Parish Church
On 13th May, four Year 12 pianists visited the beautiful Hughenden Manor and gave a recital at the parish church on the estate. Once home to former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, the church provided a sublime setting for an early evening journey through piano repertoire, spanning from Bach to Janáček.

Lavender, Daria, Tristan and Anna each had time before the concert to familiarise themselves with the piano, under the guidance of William Fong. After a picnic supper, they delivered a highly polished and emotionally engaging performance. Their professionalism was exemplary, and audience members continued to approach them afterwards with heartfelt congratulations.

Lunchtime Concerts
Thank you to Michael and Tymofiy for delivering a fully accomplished piano recital for us on Monday. Alina‘s beautiful singing of Mozart and Schubert was followed by a sparkling performance of Rossini’s introduction, Theme and Variations by Tom on Tuesday. Six Middle School composers aired their compositions on Wednesday, each with their own personal character. Thank you Ken, Theo, Luca, Ambrus, Stephanie, Arthur and Yoko for performing these pieces by Nemunis, Hiro, Ambrus, Luca, Tate and Arthur. Thursday brought a wonderful two piano rendition of the first movement of Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto performed by Stephanie (and Ms Shah) followed by the Year 13 vocal consort Arabella, Adi, Clarissa, Thomasine and Suanoi singing 16th century music from Tallis, Gibbons and Palestrina.

Forthcoming Events

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

Thursday 19 June – Caterina Grewe Piano Recital
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Programme:
F. Schubert (1797-1828)
Sonata No.14 in a-minor, D.784
Allegro giusto
Andante
Allegro vivace

N. Medtner (1880-1951)
Fairytales, Op.20 No.1 in b-flat minor
Forgotten Melodies, Op.39 No.4 ‘Canzona matinata’
Sonata in c-minor, Op. 39 No.5 ‘Sonata tragica’

R. Schumann (1810-1856)
Arabesque in C-Major, Op.18 (7min)

R. Schumann (1810-1856)
Symphonic Studies, Op.13

Friday 20 June – Year 13 Lecture Recital
Time: 2.30pm
Venue: Recital Room, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Tuesday 24 June – Clare Teal with The Purcell School
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1JZ
Tickets: £8-15 from Watford Palace Theatre box office

Celebrated vocalist Clare Teal will join Purcell’s outstanding Jazz, Commercial and Classical music students for a spectacular evening of her own music and arrangements at Watford Palace on Tuesday 24 June!

Wednesday 25 June – Creative Ensemble Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Thursday 26 June – Singers Soirée
Time: 5.00pm
Venue: Recital Room, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Classical singers of The Purcell School end their year with a short recital.

Thursday 26 June – Composition Department Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Monday 30 June – Inclusivity Group Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Tuesday 1 July – Wind Brass and Percussion Department Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Wednesday 2 July – Songwriters Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Thursday 3 July – Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required

Monday 7 July – Tchaikovsky and Sibelius and the Purcell School Symphony Orchestra
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Milton Court, 1 Milton St, London EC2Y 9BH
Tickets: £18 (£9 for concession) and available to purchase here.

Programme:
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet (Overture – Fantasia), TH 42, ČW 39
Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47
Soloist: Dominic-Lucian Drutac
Sibelius Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105

Join The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra at Milton Court for an evening of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7, along with the Violin Concerto, performed by Purcell alumnus Dominic-Lucian Drutac. Conducted by Paul Hoskins, this performance promises to be a captivating celebration of music and talent.

Tuesday 8 July – Pop and Commercial Department Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking required