Congratulations to Asher (Year 12, piano) who has been awarded First Prize in the Young Professional Category of the MozArte Competition in Aachen, Germany.
The competition took place on 30 August, with Asher achieving the top prize in a category for young musicians performing at an advanced level.
A fantastic achievement. Well done to Asher, who studies at at Purcell under Caterina Grewe.
Kevin (Year 12, piano) has enjoyed an extraordinary summer of international performances, appearing with professional orchestras in China, the Czech Republic and the UK.
His summer began at the China National Opera House Theatre in Beijing, where he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 with the China National Opera House Symphony Orchestra to a sold-out audience. The concert was also broadcast online, reaching an astonishing 3.82 million viewers.
In August, Kevin travelled to Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, where he and his younger brother Carey performed both Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in the same concert. The tour concluded with a sold-out performance at Cadogan Hall, where the brothers performed the same ambitious programme with the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Across the summer, Kevin’s performances received an exceptionally warm response, with audiences praising his technical command, sensitivity and remarkable maturity. He studies at Purcell with Florian Mitrea, who described the Cadogan Hall concert as “an absolutely terrific evening!”
Congratulations to Zoe (Year 8, piano) on a fantastic run of competition successes over the past few months.
Zoe was awarded First Prize for Piano Performance and named Best Performer of 2026 at the Mill Hill Festival of Music, Speech and Drama Winners’ Gala in September. This follows two further First Prizes earlier in the summer: at the Sant Joan d’Alacant International Piano Competition in Spain, and at the Northampton Festival of Performing Arts Winners’ Gala, where she also received the award for Most Outstanding Advanced Performer.
A wonderful series of achievements for Zoe, who studies at Purcell under Florian Mitrea.
Congratulations to Blair (Year 8, commercial voice) who was awarded Fourth Place in her age category at the New Talent Festival 2026.
Blair’s performance was praised by the judges for her captivating characterisation, storytelling, excellent diction and the effortless flow of her voice. She also had the exciting opportunity to perform in front of internationally renowned judges Dame Patricia Rozario and Tim Johnson, in a highly competitive category featuring young classical singers from the UK, Canada and Thailand.
Blair studies commercial voice at Purcell with Lucy Phillips, who was also recognised at the festival with an award for outstanding teaching. Blair would also like to thank Deedeh (Year 8, piano) for her many hours of accompanying and support during the preparation for the competition.
Congratulations to Rebecca-May (Year 8, violin) and Farah (Year 12, violin), who have both been selected as finalists in the inaugural Brazenose Violin Competition, organised by Stamford Strings and Brazenose Violins.
Following an online video application, they are among just nine finalists selected for the national competition, which is open to violinists aged 12–24. The final will take place on Saturday 10 October at St Martin’s Church in Stamford, where the finalists will perform before a panel of judges.
At just 12 years old, Rebecca-May is the youngest finalist in the competition. She studies at Purcell with Head of Strings Alex Redington, while Farah studies with Charles Sewart.
We wish both Rebecca-May and Farah every success for the final!
On Sunday 28 June, Rebecca (Year 13, classical guitar) and Ekaterina (Year 13, classical guitar) performed at the Royal College of Music’s annual Strings Festival.
The pair had the opportunity to take part in a public masterclass with the acclaimed Vida Guitar Quartet, receiving coaching from the celebrated ensemble before performing Rebecca’s composition for two guitars, Between Resonances.
Their performance was described as “extremely beautiful and evocative”, while Rebecca’s composition was praised as “ethereal” and particularly well suited to the classical guitar.
It was a wonderful opportunity for both students to perform, develop their ensemble skills and work with leading practitioners in their field. Rebecca and Ekaterina both study at Purcell under Francesco Mariani.
We were delighted to see three Purcell Art students recognised in the international SummerCraft competition, which celebrates creativity across all ages and media.
Chaeyu (Year 12) was selected as the June Early Bird winner, receiving a £50 Global Gift Card for her vibrant acrylic painting. Alumna Alina (Class of 2026) was awarded a £50 Farshore book bundle, while Gabriel (Year 12) won a Spark UK bundle of a hoodie, T-shirt and mug.
With entries ranging in age from 3 to 93 and submitted from around the world, the competition celebrates creativity, experimentation and individual responses rather than there being one ‘right’ way to approach a creative challenge.
Congratulations to Victoria Samuel, Head of Art, who was awarded First Prize in the Staff category of the University for the Creative Arts’ (UCA) YouCreate: WEIRD Competition 2026 for her work The Quiet Geometry of Being Strange.
This was the first year that UCA introduced a dedicated staff category, celebrating the creative practice of teachers and other education professionals who encourage creativity in young people. The competition invited artists to interpret the theme of ‘WEIRD’ in any creative medium.
As part of her prize, Victoria received £150 worth of art supplies for the School, while her work was also selected for exhibition at UCA’s Canterbury campus over the summer.
You can view Victoria’s work alongside the other winning entries on the UCA website here.
We were thrilled to hear that our former Head of Composition, Alison Cox OBE, has been nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award in the 2026 Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Awards.
Alison retired from Purcell at the end of the 2025–26 academic year, bringing to a close an extraordinary 38 years at the School. During that time, she inspired and nurtured generations of young composers, leaving an indelible mark on Purcell’s musical life and on the many students fortunate enough to have been taught by her.
Alison founded Purcell’s Composition Department in 1994, establishing the UK’s first specialist composition department within a specialist music school. Over the following decades, she championed young composers, creating opportunities for students to develop their individual voices, hear their music performed and work with professional musicians and composers both in the UK and internationally.
This nomination is a wonderful recognition of Alison’s outstanding contribution to music education and a fitting celebration of a career that has touched so many lives. We are immensely proud of Alison and delighted to see her contribution recognised in this way – and wish her the very best of luck!
We are delighted to celebrate the recent premiere of a new opera by former Purcell School teacher and composer Edward Longstaff.
Edward’s The History of Mr Polly, based on H.G. Wells’ much-loved comic novel, received its first staged performance on 9 September at The Cockpit in London, as part of Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2026. This ambitious two-part opera, for which Edward has written both the music and the libretto, is believed to be the first operatic adaptation of Wells’ novel.
We are thrilled to see Edward’s work taking this exciting next step and warmly congratulate him on bringing The History of Mr Polly to the stage.
You can watch Part One online on Friday 25 September (6.30 to 7.40pm), when Tête à Tête will host a special watch party followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with Edward and members of the creative team.
Watch the performance and find out more here.
Over the summer, Dr Sarah Upjohn, Purcell’s Physiotherapist, took part in two major international conferences, sharing work exploring the role of wellbeing within pre-conservatoire music education.
Sarah travelled to New York for the World Symposium of the Performing Arts Medicine Association, where she presented research relating to the development of continuing professional development for UK physiotherapists. She then travelled to Montreal for the World Conference of the International Society of Music Education, presenting a case study from the RCM Junior Department alongside an update on work involving the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and University of Liverpool.
Both presentations contributed to wider discussions around musicians’ health and wellbeing and the ways in which wellbeing can be embedded into music education from an early stage.
Sarah also attended the National Open Youth Orchestras BBC Prom at Bristol Beacon and the inaugural Cambridge Festival of Choirs during her summer travels.
It was wonderful to see Dmytro (Dima) Chernetskyi (Class of 2026, singer and composer) featured in the BBC News recently, reflecting on his remarkable journey since arriving in the UK as a Ukrainian refugee.
When Dmytro joined Purcell, he had little English, yet went on to develop his musical talents alongside his studies and achieve an outstanding place at Oxford University. His story is a powerful reminder of the determination, resilience and talent of our students, and we are incredibly proud to have been part of his journey.
We are delighted to share the BBC’s feature here, which tells Dmytro’s story in more detail.
We are delighted to share news from alumnus Roberts Balanas (violin), who has joined The Fearless Cooperative, the international management agency founded by Graham Parker.
Roberts is enjoying an exciting period in his career and will make his debut this year at Palau de la Música Catalana and the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, performing a newly commissioned electric violin concerto by composer Angela Luque.
We look forward to following Roberts’ continued development and the exciting projects ahead.
Alumnus Hugo Max (composer and viola) has announced his fifth UK tour, taking place this October and November 2026.
Hugo will perform live viola soundtracks alongside a fascinating programme of silent cinema, including Halloween classics such as Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Häxan and The Lodger. The tour will also feature two films celebrating their centenary: Lotte Reiniger’s animated masterpiece The Adventures of Prince Achmed and Teinosuke Kinugasa’s avant-garde A Page of Madness.
Performances are scheduled at venues including the Prince Charles Cinema in London, Oxford’s Ultimate Picture Palace, Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema and Southampton’s Turner Sims, with further dates to be announced.
Further information is available here.
We’re delighted to share news of an exciting forthcoming performance featuring three Purcell alumni. Martin James Bartlett (piano), Alim Beisembayev (piano) and Robert Cohen (cello) will join acclaimed pianist Dina Duisen for ‘Dina and Friends’, a two-night mini-festival of chamber music at the 1901 Arts Club in Waterloo.
Taking place on Thursday 22 October and Saturday 24 October, the intimate series brings together an impressive roster of guest musicians for collaborative performances in a relaxed, salon-style setting. Audiences will also have the opportunity to meet the artists in the bar following each recital.
The programmes for both evenings are still to be announced, with performances beginning at 7.30pm. Tickets are £35 for an individual concert or £60 for both evenings, with discounted student tickets available.
It is wonderful to see three members of the Purcell alumni community coming together for what promises to be a very special celebration of chamber music.
Find out more and book tickets here.
Godalming Rising Stars Concert – 12 September 2026
Congratulations to Luca (Year 11, piano), Emily (Year 13, oboe), Khanui (Year 13, violin) and alumnus Tristan (piano) on an exceptional performance as part of the Rising Stars series with Conservatoire Concerts at Godalming Baptist Church.
The four performers presented a dynamic programme of solo and duo works, showcasing the rigour, versatility and virtuosity of Purcell musicianship.
The annual Godalming Rising Stars Concert celebrates exceptional young musical talent, and we are delighted to see Purcell students and alumni continuing to feature in this special series.
Bravo to all four performers!
Lunchtime Concerts – Live at Lunch – W/C 7th September
Our Live at Lunch concert series got off to a fantastic start with a week of performances from the Piano Department.
Pijus (Year 13), Victoria (Year 13), Jerry (Year 13) and Zev (Year 13) presented wonderfully varied programmes spanning centuries of piano repertoire, with music by Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Boulez and Ligeti.
A brilliant opening week showcasing the breadth and ambition of our young pianists – and setting the bar high for the term of lunchtime concerts ahead.
Congratulations to Pijus, Victoria, Jerry and Zev!
In addition to those highlighted events below, please visit our online Concerts and Events Guide here.
10 October – Hatfield House Concert
Time: 3pm
Venue: St Etheldreda’s Church, 2 Fore St, Hatfield AL9 5AL, UK
Tickets: Tickets are available here
Purcell students will join presenter Maria Thomas, clarinettist Julian Bliss and cellist Guy Johnston at the Hatfield House Music Festival for a relaxed concert on Saturday afternoon.
The programme will feature well-known works suitable for audiences of all ages, with a particular welcome to those with additional needs, including people living with dementia, Parkinson’s, autism and ADHD.
The concert will be interactive, with opportunities for the audience to join in activities such as singing and conducting.
10 October – Saturdays at Six Concert
Time: 6pm
Venue: St Michael’s Church, Highgate, South Grove, London N6 6BJ
Tickets: Free admission with a retiring collection
Purcell piano students perform at St Michael’s Highgate, a beautiful church in North London renowned in the classical music world for its acoustics and exceptionally quiet environment.
Saturdays at Six is a regular concert series at St Michael’s.
Programme will include:
Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2 – First Movement
Chopin Scherzo No. 2 in B♭ minor, Op. 31
Chopin Nocturne in C♯ minor, Op. 27, No. 1
Liszt Étude de concert No. 2, “La Campanella”
Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 24 in F♯ Major, Op. 78, “à Thérèse”
Rachmaninoff Moment Musical in E minor, Op. 16, No. 4
Chopin Nocturne in B major, Op. 62, No. 1
Kapustin Études, Op. 40 (No. 1 and No.3)
5 November – Alex Redington and The Purcell School Chamber Soloists at Wigmore Hall
Time: 1pm
Venue: Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore St, London W1U 2BP
Tickets: Tickets are available here
The Purcell School Chamber Soloists return to Wigmore Hall for the first of three concerts in the 2026–27 season, presenting a programme of chamber music for string ensembles.
Led by Head of Strings Alex Redington, the students will perform George Enescu’s monumental Octet, following a virtuosic quartet for four violins by acclaimed Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz.
Internationally acclaimed British violinist Alex Redington is widely known as the founding member of the Doric String Quartet, as well as for his distinguished solo and teaching career.
7 November – Lunchtime Concert, St James Muswell Hill
Time: 12pm
Venue: St James Church, St James’s Ln, Muswell Hill, London N10 3DB
Tickets: Entry is free, all are welcome
Purcell pianists perform a one-hour lunchtime concert at St James, Muswell Hill.
9 November – The Purcell School Jazz Musicians at Benslow Music
Time: 3pm
Venue: Benslow Music, Benslow Ln, Hitchin SG4 9RB
Tickets: Tickets are available here
The Purcell School Jazz Department presents an afternoon concert Benslow Music Trust.
The concert will be one hour in duration, followed by tea and cakes.
11 November – Remembrance Day Lunchtime Concert
Time: 1.10pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free to attend, no booking necessary
The Purcell Symphonic Wind Orchestra present a Concert of Remembrance.
Please do come and join us for this special concert.
3 November – Purcell Woodwind Players at University of Birmingham
Time: 1.00pm
Venue: Elgar Concert Hall, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham B15 2TT
Tickets: Free admission, no booking necessary
Purcell Woodwind students present a one-hour lunchtime concert at University of Birmingham’s beautiful Elgar Hall.
Programme:
Poulenc Sonata for Two Clarinets
Mozart Serenade No.12 in C minor, K388
Louise Farrenc Sextet in C minor for Winds & Piano, Op. 40
Further information is available here.
25 November – Reich@90 Concert
Time: 8.00pm
Venue: CP Hall, The Purcell School
Tickets: Free admission, no booking necessary
In Autumn 2026, The Purcell School will mark Steve Reich’s 90th birthday with a term-long celebration exploring one of the most influential musical voices of the past century. Taking place in parallel with wider international celebrations of Reich’s work, the project will bring together performance, composition, production, songwriting, jazz and commercial students through the school’s Centre for Creative Practice. Across the term, students will engage with Reich’s distinctive musical language through workshops, lectures, seminars, and collaborative creative projects.
The project will culminate in a mini-series of concerts and events presenting key works by Reich alongside a series of world premieres by Purcell students and staff responding to his output. Repertoire will include works such as Radio Rewrite, Quartet, Nagoya Marimbas, Electric Counterpoint and Clapping Music, with student responses ranging from chamber and percussion works to electronic pieces, collaborative rewritings, and online releases. The project will also acknowledge Reich’s dialogue with popular music through performances of Radiohead songs connected to Radio Rewrite, creating a broad, interdisciplinary celebration of influence, reinterpretation and new creative work.
