To be considered for an audition at The Purcell School, applicants must first submit their application to the school – please see How to Apply. Auditions take place at the School during term-time. We start auditioning candidates during the Autumn term and continue until we have reached maximum capacity; we therefore recommend completing your application as early in the year as possible.
For the audition, applicants will be asked to prepare and play two pieces on their first instrument. Applicants may also opt to play one piece on their second instrument if they wish. The pieces are of the applicant’s own choice. First study pianists are expected to perform their pieces from memory. There will also be a sight-reading on the first instrument and some aural tests. The sight-reading and aural tests are not “make or break” and cannot be prepared. The tests help to give us a more rounded picture of the applicant’s ability and potential, and what they have been taught; they also help us to put successful candidates in appropriate classes.
Following this, applicants will be interviewed by the audition panel which will include the Director of Music and the relevant Head of Department. Applicants and their parents will also be given a tour of the School and will meet with our Director of Boarding, who is also a pastoral leader at the school. Parents will also have a meeting with our Finance Manager.
Online auditions may be requested for overseas families. The requirements for online auditions will be confirmed at the point of invitation.
An audition fee of £50 must be paid online in advance of the audition date.
For families in serious financial difficulty and for whom the application and/or audition fee would prevent them from applying, please contact us for a conversation about how the School can help.
Following a successful audition, the candidate will either be offered a place (normally within two weeks of the audition) or be placed on a waiting list.
If you have any further queries about our auditions please contact us on admissions@purcell-school.org or 01923 331107.
