Weekly Highlights 4th April 2025

Posted: 4th April 2025

Senior Concerto Competition

The grand final of our Senior Concerto Competition took place on Sunday 30th March, showcasing some of the most accomplished young musicians at The Purcell School. Over 30 students entered in February, each preparing a full concerto and competing in earlier rounds across piano, strings, and wind/brass/percussion/harp categories.

Performing an entire concerto at this level is an extraordinary achievement, and the standard of all six finalists was exceptional. While The Purcell School values collaboration over competition, the experience and focus required for this event provide invaluable musical growth. These pieces – often memorised – will remain with the students for life.

Peter Moore, our esteemed adjudicator and former BBC Young Musician of the Year, was astounded by the performances. He remarked that any finalist could step onto the Royal Albert Hall stage with a professional orchestra tomorrow, praising their confidence, artistry, and enjoyment of the moment. The audience, equally captivated, provided an atmosphere of admiration and support.

A huge thank you to our incredible accompanying pianists – Debbie Shah, Daniel Swain and Florian Mitrea – who mastered multiple concertos to bring these performances to life.

Winners and Future Performances
Taking joint First Place, Anna (Year 12, piano) and Julia (Year 12, violin) will perform their winning concertos – Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Korngold’s Violin Concerto – with the school orchestra. These performances are set to take place at Cadogan Hall (February 2026) and Milton Court (July 2026) (dates to be confirmed).

Congratulations to all finalists – Aaron (Year 13, harp), Phoebe (Year 13, piano), Shlomi (Year 12, violin) and Suanoi (Year 13, flute) – who were highly commended for their outstanding performances.

Purcell Pianist Performs at Prestigious Paris Gala

Last week, Year 11 pianist, Pijus, had the incredible opportunity to perform in Paris at the Gala Concert of the Michel Sogny ‘SOS Talents’ Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting young, gifted pianists.

The concert, held on Thursday 27th March at the stunning Hôtel Marcel Dassault on the Champs-Élysées, was a truly special occasion, and Pijus’ performance was recorded by Radio Classique. A remarkable achievement for Pijus, who studies at Purcell under Morta Grigaliunaite. Our congratulations.

Purcell Pianist Achieves Second Prize at the Jeune Chopin International Piano Competition

We are thrilled to announce that Year 7 pianist Elizabeth has secured second prize in her age group at the esteemed Jeune Chopin International Piano Competition, which concluded this past weekend.

The competition was judged by an exceptional panel, including the legendary pianist Martha Argerich, renowned pianists Alberto Nose and Martin Garcia Garcia (both distinguished prizewinners at the Warsaw Chopin Competition), and Professors Magdalena Hirsz and Cedric Pescia. In addition, the renowned cellist Mischa Maisky contributed a deeply moving element to the opening gala, where Elizabeth had the honor of presenting flowers at the concert’s conclusion.

We are incredibly proud of Elizabeth’s remarkable achievement, who studies at Purcell under Danielle Salamon.

We would also like to congratulate Year 10 pianist, Luca, for his outstanding performance in the competition. Our congratulations to both students.

Purcell Student Triumphs at North London Festival

Congratulations to Summer (Year 7, double bass) on her fantastic achievement at the North London Festival of Music. Competing on Tuesday 1st April, she won her category – any age, Grade 8 and above.

As a result of her outstanding performance, Summer has also been invited to play at the festival’s Final Concert in May. Well done, Summer!

Purcell Clarinettist Wins Senior Recital Cup at Richmond Festival

We are pleased to share that Matilda, a Year 11 clarinettist, was awarded the Senior Recital Cup at the Richmond Festival this past weekend. Competing in a mixed instrumental class alongside string players, Matilda performed Pastoral by Bliss and Solo de Concours by Messenger.

Her performance was hugely well received and the recognition reflects her continued progress and skill. Congratulations to Matilda on this achievement.

Purcell brass players perform and triumph with Elland Silver Youth Band

On Saturday 29th March, Rhys (Year 12, trumpet), Skye (Year 11, baritone horn) and Glyn (Year 7, trumpet) performed as members of the Elland Silver Youth Band at the Brass Bands England National Youth Championships, held this year at Hymers College, Hull. Affectionately known as the Youth Champs, the event this year hosted an impressive forty brass ensembles, ranging from school groups who first played an instrument in September and making their first ever competitive appearance to long established youth brass organisations aiming to qualify for the European Youth Brass Band Championships.

Bands are required to perform a set work alongside two other pieces of their own choice, featuring a soloist from within the band. Elland played:

Andromeda – a lively concert opener commissioned by the band in 2017 for their appearance at the European Youth Brass Band Championships in Montreux, Switzerland.
With His First Breath – a melodic baritone horn solo, featuring Skye as the soloist.
Fanfares, Songs and Dances – this year’s set work, composed by Philip Sparke.

Elland were delighted to be awarded a Gold performance certificate, alongside third place overall! Our congratulations to Elland, Rhys, Skye and Glyn.

Cello and Bass Department

It has been an exciting time for the cello and bass students of The Purcell School. The bass players were very fortunate to welcome the incredibly busy Tom Goodman (Royal Academy and London Symphony Orchestra) to the school for a series of engaging and hugely informative masterclasses.

On 23rd March, the cello faculty ran a very successful Cello Day which was attended by students from around the UK. The day consisted of 1-1 lessons with members of the cello faculty, concert by current students, technique and ensemble classes and concluded with an exciting closing concert by all attendees.

On 26th March, The Purcell School cellists were delighted to be joined by Hannah Robert (Jacqueline du Pre professor at RAM and RNCM). Hannah undertook assessments before sharing her vast knowledge and experience in engaging masterclasses across all year groups.

Enlightening sessions were enjoyed by all students and we look forward to inviting both Hannah and Tom back to The Purcell School soon.

Brass Masterclass – Philip Cobb & Helen Vollam

On Monday 31st March, we were delighted to welcome Philip Cobb, Helen Vollam and Elizabeth Burley to work with our Brass Department. Principal Trumpet and Principal Trombone of the BBC Symphony Orchestra respectively, Phil and Helen spent the afternoon sharing their expertise during a series of masterclasses for our brass students. They also delivered a chamber music class, as did Liz Burley with the Piano department, before coming together in the evening to perform a Trio Recital which showcased brass playing of the highest order in what was a brilliantly-curated programme. Thanks to Phil, Helen and Liz for being a huge inspiration to our brass students, who are all still buzzing about the experience!

Celebrating Creativity: New Art Displays Around School

The Art Department has been busy this half term, transforming our school with a stunning array of student artwork. From vibrant paintings to pottery installations, the new displays celebrate the creativity and talent of our young artists, providing inspiration for all who pass through our corridors.

Here’s a glimpse of the latest displays:

Witnessing the Partial Solar Eclipse at Purcell

On Saturday 29th March, a group of 40-50 students and staff gathered on the school playing field for a special celestial event – the partial solar eclipse. Led by Physics teacher Mr Titmus, the group observed the phenomenon using simple yet effective projection methods.

Using black cards with small holes, students projected the eclipse onto dull sheets of paper, clearly witnessing the Moon partially obscure the Sun. Gabriel and Albert took an innovative approach by creating a larger aperture and projecting the image onto a distant screen, producing an impressive, enlarged view of the eclipse.

It was a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with astronomy in real time, turning a rare cosmic event into an exciting hands-on learning experience.

The Great Easter Duck Hunt!

Over the past week, students across the school have taken part in our much-loved annual Easter Duck Hunt – and what a fantastic time they’ve had! From Year 7 to Year 13, everyone got involved in tracking down our little waddling friends, hidden in classrooms, boarding houses and all around the school.

Competition was fierce, but Sunley House emerged victorious, rescuing an impressive 159 ducks, with Avison House close behind with 157. Prizes were awarded to our top teams, and a huge well done to everyone who took part! The students had a brilliant time collecting ducks and we’re pretty sure the boarding staff had just as much fun hiding them each day.

Purcell Physiotherapist Collaborates on Groundbreaking Physio Toolkit

Purcell’s physiotherapist, Dr Sarah UpJohn, has been working in collaboration with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Help Musicians to develop an innovative resource aimed at supporting musicians’ health and wellbeing.

The Physio Toolkit provides valuable guidance on injury prevention, movement strategies and physical conditioning tailored specifically for musicians. This important initiative underscores the growing recognition of the physical demands of performance and the need for targeted support.

For those interested, the full press release can be found here and the toolkits can be downloaded here and here.

Concerts Review

Composition Concert
On Tuesday evening, eleven Sixth Form composers had their new works performed by guest artists Laura Coppinger and Fionnula Ward with some of their peers playing as well.

All pieces were inspired by a project looking at the work of Luciano Berio.

String Duo Concert
On Wednesday evening, we were treated to a wonderful duo recital given by two prestigious soloists Sarah Jane Bradley, who is also one of our viola teachers, and violinist Alessandro Borgomanero who also gave a masterclass in the afternoon. The programme was inspiring and much enjoyed by the audience.

Lunchtime Concerts
Once again a varied week of lunchtime concerts has taken place. Solo performances included Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Villa-Lobos. Duos and trios performed pieces by Skoryk and Ibert respectively. Well done to Lavender, Saule, Teodora, Kateryna, Sofiia, Hannah, Natalie, Samsara and Lilly. On Tuesday the Creative Ensemble delighted us with both their improvisatory and well arranged works creating visionary soundscapes, well done Tom, Katerina, Boris, Mac, Gerard, Aaron, Albi, Ramona, Natty, Cole and Thomasine. On Wednesday, Adi programmed and performed a perfectly balanced full set of both classical and jazz tunes supported by Jacob, Sam, Lucas, Yoel, Boris, Otto and Mr Swain.

Forthcoming Events

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

Tuesday 29 April – Choral Evensong at The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban
Time: 5.00pm
Venue: Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans AL1 1BY
Tickets: Free admission

The Purcell School Chamber Choir
Tom Winpenny Director
Phoebe Tak Man Chow Organ

Friday 2 May – Wigmore Hall Lunchtime Concert
Time: 1.00pm
Venue: Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BP
Tickets: £18 and can be purchased here

The Purcell School Chamber Soloists return to Wigmore with a programme celebrating the anniversaries of Ravel and Berio. They include a work written for them by Robert Saxton, who studied with Berio. Saxton is deeply immersed in Ravel’s music, and closely involved in the education of young composers. His new work takes Ravel’s opera L’enfant et les sortilèges as a starting point.