We are delighted to celebrate Arthur (Year 11), who won the Under-17 Bach Choir Carol Writing Competition with his original piece, The Winds of Winter. His composition was performed at the sold-out Christmas Concert at Cadogan Hall on 15 December 2025, to great acclaim.
A wonderful achievement, and a fantastic opportunity to hear his music brought to life on such a prestigious stage – congratulations to Arthur on this impressive success!
We are delighted to share that Jarvis (Year 8, French horn) has been offered a place in the London Youth Wind Band for the 2026 programme. He is very excited to join this prestigious ensemble, which provides talented wind, brass and percussion players with opportunities to perform at the highest musical level.
Since its formation in 2003, the LYWB has performed at renowned venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Guildhall School, St John’s Smith Square and St Alfege, Greenwich, and has toured across Europe, visiting France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.
We warmly congratulate Jarvis on this wonderful achievement and look forward to hearing about his experiences in the year ahead.
The Purcell School’s inaugural Giving Day, which took place on 11-12 December 2025, proved to be an extraordinary celebration of music, generosity and community spirit, raising an impressive £41,320.00 in support of the School’s Bursary Fund.
Across a continuous 24-hour concert, students from all departments delivered a stunning programme of performances, showcasing not only their exceptional musical ability but also their commitment, energy and enthusiasm. From early morning through to the final notes the following day, the music was outstanding and every performance was marked by exactly the right spirit – generous, joyful and wholehearted.
While the event would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of staff, both on stage and behind the scenes, the true stars of Giving Day were undoubtedly the students. Their professionalism, creativity and willingness to give so much of themselves over the full 24 hours made the event truly special.
The School was also honoured to receive a message of support from His Majesty King Charles III, Royal Patron of The Purcell School, who warmly acknowledged the significance of the concert and praised the work being done to celebrate and encourage the musical abilities of young people. His Majesty’s words were a meaningful moment for the whole community and a wonderful endorsement of the event.
The School extends its heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated, tuned in to the livestream, shared messages of encouragement or helped spread the word. Your generosity will make a lasting difference to the lives of talented young musicians.
For those who missed the concert – or would like to relive the highlights – a recording of the livestream is available here, and the Giving Day donation page remains open here for anyone who would still like to contribute.
Once again, thank you to all who helped make the first Purcell Giving Day such a memorable and successful occasion.
The following news has already been widely covered by ourselves and others but, when something is this exciting, we feel it deserves a second mention and where better than the Weekly Highlights?!
In an exceptional achievement, Purcell students were recognised in every age category of the BBC Young Composer 2025 competition, highlighting the remarkable creativity and ambition of our young composers.
Each category winner will now take part in a bespoke BBC development programme, working closely with a mentor composer on a project with the BBC Concert Orchestra, culminating in a performance or broadcast opportunity.
The judges for the 2025 competition included Segun Akinola, Belle Chen, Lloyd Coleman, Tansy Davies, Hannah Donat, Shiva Feshareki, Gavin Higgins and George Moore – an inspiring panel spanning a wide range of contemporary and classical musical practice.
This year’s success is particularly meaningful as our Head of Composition, Alison Cox, prepares to retire at the end of this academic year after 38 years of exceptional service. Alison played a key role in establishing the original BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composer of the Year Competition in 1998, and her lifelong commitment to nurturing young composers is reflected powerfully in this year’s results.
We warmly congratulate all the students and staff involved in this outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing these exciting new works brought to life.
Before the Christmas break, we were delighted to announce the launch of the Purcell Brass Experience, a new, free termly programme designed to inspire and support young brass players in School Years 5-12 (approximately Grade 3-8+).
Taking place at The Purcell School in Bushey, the Purcell Brass Experience offers an exciting opportunity for young musicians to immerse themselves in high-quality brass training within a creative, supportive and welcoming environment.
Led by Mike Cavanagh, Head of Wind, Brass & Percussion, alongside The Purcell School’s specialist brass faculty, each session will include ensemble coaching, masterclasses and performance workshops, giving participants the chance to develop their technique, musicianship and confidence while making music with like-minded peers.
The first Purcell Brass Experience will take place on:
Sunday 1 February 2026
2.00-5.00pm
The Purcell School, Bushey, Hertfordshire
The programme is free of charge, though advance registration is required and places are limited. To register for the Purcell Brass Experience, please visit our website here.
We would be grateful if you could share this opportunity with young brass players, teachers, schools, music hubs and ensembles who may be interested. Your support in helping us reach aspiring brass musicians will play an important role in building a vibrant and inclusive brass community through this new initiative.
Last term, students across the School took part in our Season’s Greetings Card Competition, responding creatively to the theme ‘A Musical Twist’. The competition inspired a wonderful range of imaginative designs, showcasing both artistic flair and musical thinking.
Our Principal, Paul Bambrough, selected the winners, with Sherry (Year 8) chosen as the overall winner and Matilda (Year 12) receiving the KS4/5 prize.
Highly commended runners-up were Ezio, Regina, Zoe, Queenie, Stelios, Blair, Gracie, Theo, Asta, Dom and Stephanie, whose entries stood out for their creativity and originality.
Congratulations to everyone who took part and contributed such vibrant and memorable designs.
We are delighted to share that Purcell alumna Yuliya Ostapchuk has been appointed to the Violin 1 section of the UAE National Orchestra. We warmly congratulate Yuliya on this impressive achievement as she continues her orchestral career.
Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
On 2 December, our Middle School musicians performed at the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Festive Luncheon. As the 150+ guests arrived for the welcome reception, they were greeted by elegant performances of Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Borodin’s Quartet No. 2, beautifully played by two string quartets: Zarema, Nina, Lily and Siyue in one group, and Chaeyu, Begum, Kutay and Yoko in the other.
After joining the guests for a two-course meal, each quartet took to the centre stage. Zarema’s ensemble performed Haydn’s Op. 76 No. 2, while Chaeyu’s group presented a work by Year 11 student Tate.
The performers received highly positive feedback from all sides – the guests, the organisers, Dr Jenkinson and Ms Honda. Well done to everyone who took part!
St Mary le Strand Lunchtime Concert
On 3 December, three of our Year 13 pianists performed at St Mary le Strand, a historic church in the centre of London. Their programme led the audience on a journey through the late 19th century – featuring works by Liszt, Ravel, Rachmaninov and Janáček – and into the 21st century, with Matias performing one of Kapustin’s piano études, tackling its intricate technical challenges with confidence.
Lavender’s performance of Janáček’s From the Street was full of emotional nuance; she captured the reflective character of the piece and allowed the necessary spaces in the music to resonate. With the church situated in a busy London location, the audience occasionally heard the city beyond – helicopters overhead, people laughing – but the performers remained completely focused and expressive.
Daria concluded the programme with Ravel’s dramatic Scarbo, producing such powerful waves of sound that the piano itself seemed to expand in size. The audience included visitors who wandered into the church, stayed to listen for 20–30 minutes, and then continued on their way – adding to the unique atmosphere of the event.
It was a wonderful musical experience in the heart of London, and we look forward to returning to this venue in March. Congratulations to all the pianists!
Lunchtime Concerts
W/C: Monday 1 December 2026
Monday was a perfect compliment of voice (Sophia accompanied by Kevin and Olivia accompanied by Mattias) and piano solos by Saule and Ryosuke and Aleksandra.
Many of the staff turned out on Tuesday to hear a delightful Brass Christmas Concert played by Rhys, Mason, Rowena, Glyn, Seth, Gil, Brad, Trevor, John, Theo, Jarvis, Skye, Willow, Tristan, Hannah, Emil and Oliver.
Ezio, Ivan and Ivan, Marcus, Seth and Mahla played a great jazz set in the JCS on Wednesday.
Thursday was our annual U3A concert where many students performed brilliantly to our invited U3A audience.
Well done to the Middle School Voices: Kutay, Lily, Saule, Hannah, Sofia, Lia, Marija, Kiah, Zarema, Stephanie, Chaeyu, Asta, Alexandra, Yoko, Begum, Willow, Phoebe, Rio, Kevin, Daniel, Michael, Theo, Arthur, Luca, Seth, Gabriel, Ambrus, Craig and Luca, the Lower School Choir: Lianne, Jiyar, Rebecca-May, Sofia, Blair, Aedan, Regina, Deedeh, Patrick, Queenie, Emma, Tongai, Elizabeth, Stephanie, Sherry, Milou, Alexa, Jarvis, Dom, Summer Sky, Glyn, Ivan, Yisen, Elly and Krystal.
Solos and other group performances were by Prince, Lianne, Glyn, Queenie, Beulah, Albert, Yulin, Otto, Julianna, Rhys, Marcus, Gianntino, Jamie, Otto, Seth, Marcus, Flo, Paawan, April, Yulin, Patchubun, Yisen, Rozalia, Rhys, Trevor, Skye and Tristan.
Well done to everyone who performed this week.
W/C: Monday 5 January 2026
The two lunchtime concerts this week were on Tuesday with Aleksandra performing Bach and Brahms and Chaeyu performing Ysaÿe, and Thursday featured our guest Adrian Butterfield leading our baroque orchestra performing Purcell and Corelli. Adrian had spent the week working with and inspiring the students to improve their knowledge and ability to interpret and perform the music.
In addition to those highlighted events below, please visit our online Concerts and Events Guide here.
21 January – Live Film Score Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required.
28 January – Composition Department Concert
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required.
4 February – Leeds Conservatoire Lunchtime Concert
Time: 1.05pm
Venue: The Venue at Leeds Conservatoire
Tickets: Free admission. No booking required.
Programme to include Sergei Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances (for 2 pianos).
Additional information is available here.
7 February – Saturdays at Six Concert at St Michael’s Highgate
Time: 6.00pm
Venue: St Michael’s Church Highgate, United Kingdom
Tickets: Admission is free with a retiring collection
Saturdays at Six concert at St Michael’s, Highgate runs from 6-7pm on the second Saturday of every month.
Purcell pianists will perform a one-hour programme, details of which are to follow.
Programme will include:
Clementi Sonata in f-sharp minor Op. 25 No.5: Allegro con espressione (4′)
Chopin Fantasie in f minor Op. 49 (13’30”)
Schumann Faschingsschwank aus Wien Op.26 (22′)
For further information, visit St Michael’s website.
9 February – The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra at Cadogan Hall
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ
Tickets: Prices from £18 to £28 available here
The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra returns to Cadogan Hall with a romantic programme of big tunes and lush orchestration, inspired by the movies of the 1940s.
This year’s Purcell School Concerto Competition winner, Julia Majewska, is an exciting young violinist who brings passion and verve to the fireworks of the exquisite Korngold Violin Concerto.
Part of Howard Hanson’s Symphony from 1930 was John Williams’ template for E.T., and Doreen Carwithen was the first British woman to write consistently for Hollywood. Walton’s orchestral showpiece from the film The First of the Few completes the programme.
Britain’s oldest specialist music school, The Purcell School, is a vibrant, co-educational community of around 200 musically gifted teenagers from across the globe. Whether boarders or day pupils, all are united by a shared dedication to music and excellence.
Doreen Carwithen Men of Sherwood Forest Overture
Korngold Violin Concerto
Walton Spitfire Prelude and Fugue
Howard Hanson Symphony No. 2, ‘The Romantic’
Julia Majewska violin
The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra
Paul Hoskins conductor
For further information and to purchase tickets, visit Cadogan Hall’s website
