Rafael Gutiérrez Vélez is an accomplished pianist with extensive performance experience in Europe and internationally. He has performed in prestigious venues such as Steinway Hall and St. Martin-in- the-Fields in London, the Rachmaninoff Hall in Moscow, and the Petit Palau de la Música in Barcelona. His repertoire spans a wide range of styles, and he...

Rafael Gutiérrez-Vélez began playing the piano at the age of five. At nine he was admitted to the Jose Jacinto Cuevas Music School to study with Alberto Alvarez Iñiguez, who up to this date continues to be his mentor. In the UK he studied at the Purcell School of Music with Tatiana Sarkissova and Ilana...

Students from Purcell, joined by violinist, conductor and Patron of the school Dmitry Sitkovetsky, return to Sinfonia Smith Square for their flagship autumn concert. Ensembles from all classical departments present a varied programme of music linked by themes of Remembrance.Benjamin Britten Fanfare for St EdmunsburyArvo Pärt Fratres (soloist Dmitry Sitkovetsky)Richard Strauss (arr. Dmitry Sitkovetsky) Sextet from Capriccio,...

We are very pleased to welcome Nicholas Bayley, Principal Double Bass of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, to take a masterclass with our double bass students. At the age of 24 Nicholas Bayley was appointed as principal bassist with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and led the section until 2009, when he assumed his current position as principal...

Please do come and listen to our sixth form concert.This concert will feature a selection of soloists performing their solo pieces.The concert is free to attend but donations to a retiring collection will be gratefully received.Programme:Hoffmeister Concerto in D major i) AllegroMozart Violin Concerto No.4 in D Major, K.218 i) AllegroDvořák Silent WoodsLiszt Années de pèlerinage...

"The Russia of the composer existed only in his art”, – highlighted Simon Morrison, Professor of Music and Slavic Languages and Literatures at Princeton University, describing the complicated relations between Tchaikovsky's music and the context in which it was composed.In anticipation of Morrison’s Discourse event stemming from his latest book, Tchaikovsky's Empire: A New Life of...

The Purcell School Chamber Choir, together with organist Tom Winpenny, will perform a Lunchtime Concert at St Mary’s Church in Watford. The concert is free to attend. For more information, please visit the St Mary’s website:https://www.stmaryswatford.org/newsRefreshments will be available at the church at 12pm. Programme:Vivaldi - MagnificatDurante - MagnificatMozart - Dixit and MagnificatThis concert is sponsored...

Pianist Gila Goldstein is known as a versatile musician and has captivated audiences around the world with her unique artistry and soulful interpretations. Ms. Goldstein has performed as a solo artist and collaborative pianist throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Korea, the Philippines, Europe, and Israel. Her most notable performances included the Berliner Symphoniker,...

We are very pleased to welcome Gila Goldstein to take a masterclass with some of our pianists.Works performed by students will include:Beethoven Sonata in C Major, Op.53Mendelssohn Variations Sérieuses, Op.54Pianist Gila Goldstein is known as a versatile musician and has captivated audiences around the world with her unique artistry and soulful interpretations. Ms. Goldstein has...

Please come and join our lower school students showcasing their latest repertoire.This concert will feature a selection of soloists performing their solo pieces.The concert is free to attend but donations to a retiring collection will be gratefully received.Programme:Marcel Grandjany Deux chansons populaires françaises, No. 1, Le bon petit roi d'Yvetôt    Chopin Scherzo No.1 in B-minor Op.20Wieniawski...

Join us on Sunday, 24th November at Cliveden House for a Black Tie Sunday Night Soirée featuring exquisite classical music performances by the Purcell School, Champagne and Canapés, and a three-course dinner.The evening begins at 6 PM with Champagne and Canapés served in the Great Hall. Guests will then be treated to a program of...

Come and join us to hear our songwriters latest compositions. The concert is free to attend but donations to a retiring collection will be gratefully received.  More details to follow soon.

We are very pleased to welcome Xin Wang to the Purcell School to take a masterclass with three of our students: Saule, Yifei and Melody.Xin Wang stablished herself in spite of her young age as one of the leading pianists of the inner Mongolia China. She came into public attention when she won a special...

Join musicians from the Middle School as they perform a selection of solo pieces. The concert is free to attend but donations to a retiring collection will be gratefully received. Programme to follow soon.

From Billie Eilish to Earth, Wind and Fires, 'Hit Replay!' is a concert of cover versions of well known songs from Pop history.  Performed by talented students from Purcell's Popular and Commercial Music Department. Free admission. No booking necessary.  CP Hall, The Purcell School

The Purcell School Chamber Choir, conducted by Tom Winpenny, present an evening concert at St Dominic’s Priory, accompanied by organist Phoebe Tak Man Chow. Programme:Durante MagnificatVivaldi MagnificatMonteverdi Beatus VirSchubert Psalm 23The concert is sponsored by the DMF Trust in memory of David and Myrtle Franklin. Free admission but donations are kindly welcomed to support both The School...

We are very pleased to welcome Philippe Graffin, to take a masterclass with our violin students.Philippe Graffin’s inquisitive mind has often taken us beyond the confines of the repertoire, reflected in his extensive discography, making headlines with its many rediscoveries and exciting premieres.Whether commissioning a new work, unearthing a hidden manuscript version of a familiar...

The Purcell School Jazz Department presents an evening of music from the library of British Jazz icon, John Dankworth.  Featuring guest bassist Alec Dankworth and international trombone star Mark Nightingale. The concert is free to attend but donations to a retiring collection will be gratefully received.  CP Hall

The Purcell School Baroque Ensemble will be performing as part of the Baroque Festival 2025 at Godalming Baptist Church.Admission to the concert is free however there will be a retiring collection to benefit the Purcell School and its musicians.Further information on Godalming Conservatoire concerts can be found here: https://conservatoireconcerts.org.uk/future-concerts/Programme to include:Telemann - Ouverture-Suite "La Bizarre" in...

We are very pleased to welcome Amy Harman to take a masterclass with our bassoon students.A passionate advocate for the bassoon, Amy Harman is much sought after as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher and communicator.  Amy was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music from 2013 to 2024 and gives masterclasses and coaches internationally. She...

We are very pleased to welcome Roger Benedict to take a masterclass with our viola students.Roger Benedict is an acclaimed British/Australian conductor who works with leading professional orchestras in Australasia. He is currently Chief Conductor of the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of Orchestra for Life.He is highly regarded for his work with...

Get ready for an evening of incredible live music! Our amazing Year 13 singer-songwriters, Oscar and Lilly, will hit the stage with their bands to perform original tracks and fresh takes on classic covers. Free admission, no booking required, with a retiring collection in support of Bushey Festival. Oscar Brown:Oscar is a young, talented up-and-coming singer/songwriter/pianist from...

We are delighted to welcome Chris Richards, Principal Clarinet of the London Symphony Orchestra and Professor at the Royal Academy of Music to take a masterclass with our students.Chris Richards:After his studies, Chris was appointed principal clarinet with the Northern Sinfonia at the Sage Gateshead and in 2010 became principal clarinet with the London Symphony Orchestra. He has...

A recital given by students from the Purcell School as part of the  Leeds Lunchtime Chamber Music concerts.Programme to include:Debussy Syrinx (for solo flute)Debussy Danses Sacree et Profane (for harp and string quartet)Lili Boulanger Nocturne (for flute and piano)Poulenc Sonata for two clarinetsRavel Jeux d'eau (arr. for solo harp)Ravel Introduction and allegro (or flute, clarinet, harp and string...

We are very pleased to welcome Richard Jackson to take a masterclass with some of our vocal students. Richard Jackson was born in Cornwall, and educated at King’s College, Cambridge (his degree is in French and German) and the Guildhall School. He developed a number of specialisms as a singer, including contemporary music, and the...

As part of the BJazz initiative to Showcase Emerging British Talent, the Jazz Ensemble from The Purcell School will present a high energy mixture of well-known jazz standards, as well as Derek Nash’s own compositions, in a huge variety of styles. The band will be led by Martin Shaw to a programme produced by Simon Allen,...

Exceptional students from The Purcell School return to Cadogan Hall for their Spring Term orchestral concert. Marking the year of Ravel’s 150th anniversary, the programme opens with his Mother Goose Suite. The piece, originally written as a five-movement piano duet in 1910, was orchestrated by Ravel in 1911.Alumnus Herman Cerisha returns to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3...

An exciting varied celebration of new music written by young composers from all age groups throughout the school.

Begin your Sunday morning with a delightful 45-minute performance by two students from The Purcell School. Programme:HarpHenriette Renié - LegendeE.A. Walter-Kühne - Fantasy on Themes from Eugene OneginPaul Patterson - Tarantula, from SpidersPianoScriabin - Sonata No.5Chopin - Scherzo No.3To book tickets, please visit the Bechstein Hall website: https://bechsteinhall.com/events/sunday-student-series/Tickets include bottomless coffee, and freshly baked pastries will be...

We are very pleased to welcome Paul Rickard-Ford to take a masterclass with our piano students.Paul Rickard-FordAfter completing his BMus at the Melbourne Conservatorium, Paul Rickard-Ford was awarded the Clarke Scholarship to undertake postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music, London where he gained the ARCM and the Dannreuther Prize for the most outstanding concerto...

Join us at Purcell for a departmental showcase featuring soloists and chamber ensembles from the Wind, Brass & Percussion departments.The concert is free to attend but donations are kindly received. No booking required.Programme:Johann Neruda Trumpet Concerto i. Allegro Nikolaus von Krufft Horn Sonata in E Major ii. Andante Espressivo Kent Kennan Sonata for Trumpet and Piano i. With...

We are very pleased to welcome Niklas Pokki to take a masterclass with our piano students.Dr. Niklas Pokki is a founder and artistic director of the Mänttä Music Festival, the most important annual piano festival in Finland, since 1999. He currently works as Head of Piano Department at the University of the Arts Helsinki, Sibelius...

We are delighted that the renowned pianist Irina Nuzova will visit us again to take a masterclass with our piano students.Irena NuzovaCritics have applauded classical pianist Irina Nuzova for her “rise above mere virtuosity” (The Washington Post), “intensity of feeling” (La Nazione, Italy) and “profound interpretation” (Il Resto de Carlino, Bologna). Nuzova has appeared in...

Do join us at Purcell for a wonderful evening concert presented by our String Department.  Students will be performing solo and chamber works. The concert is free to attend but donations are kindly received. No booking required. Programme to follow.

Please do come along and listen to the fantastic compositions composed by our year 10 students. The concert is free to attend but donations are kindly received. No booking required.

DescriptionThe Purcell School chamber musicians return to Benslow Music Trust for an enchanting afternoon of guitar, piano and violin music.Tickets are £10 (free admission for under 27s) and available to purchase here. Programme to include: Mario Gangi Suite Italiana for Guitar DuoFranz Schubert Fantasia in F minor for Piano Four HandsW.A. Mozart Violin Sonata No. 17 in C Major, K....

Programme:Beethoven: Sonata in E Major, Op.109Chopin: Sonata in B flat minor, Op.35Ravel: Gaspard de la NuitWilliam FongWilliam’s international career was launched in 1984 when he won the first prize, gold medal and Rosa Sabater prize at the Concurso Internacional de Piano in Jaén, Spain. His concerto début at St. John's Smith Square with the Philharmonia Orchestra...

Join our Middle School Orchestra students performing their orchestral repertoire. The concert is free to attend but donations are kindly received. No booking required. Programme to follow.

This is a special concert of new piano pieces by Middle School composers, created by Purcell’s Composer-In-Association, Robert Saxton. They analysed and discussed Voiles (from Preludes, Book 1) by Debussy and each young composer was invited to use the piece as a starting point for a piano piece of their own. In this concert, we...

Purcell’s chamber musicians present a programme of 19th-century chamber music at the Barnes Music Festival on 19 March 2025 at 1PM, performing pieces by Schubert, Brahms and Walter Rabl’s rarely performed Quartet for clarinet, violin, cello and piano, which was awarded first prize by Brahms in a Viennese competition in 1896. Join us for a lovely...

Students will be performing mini-sets from featured artists and bands. The concert is free to attend but donations are kindly received. No booking required. Further details to follow.

An evening of instrumental solo and chamber music performed by some of the UKs most talented young musicians for the South Hill Park Conservatoire concerts.The Conservatoire International Concerts are now in their 12th season. They were founded to offer a platform to young musicians emerging from the UK’s international conservatoires.For further information and to book...

Stanborough Park Church Teatime Concert 23 March 2025, 3PMStanborough Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, 609 St Albans Rd, Watford WD25 9JLThe Purcell School Brass and Wind chamber musicians present an afternoon performance. Programme: Benjamin Britten Fanfare for St. Edmondsbury    László Zempléni Trio for Flutes     Lachlan Kuhn The Contraption (some mvts of)    Samuel Scheidt Canzon Cornetto...

Cello Masterclass by Hannah Roberts26th March 2025 1.40 - 4.40pm Liszt Room, The Purcell SchoolJoin us for a masterclass with Hannah Roberts, Professor of Cello at the RNCM in Manchester and Jacqueline Du Pré Professor of Cello at the RAM in London. Hannah Roberts is widely recognised as one of the outstanding cellists of her generation, and...

The Purcell Jazz Ensemble present a programme of original Student compositions and arrangements.The concert is free to attend but donations are kindly received. No booking required.More details to follow.

The Purcell School Sixth Form Choir, conducted by Chloë Allison, present an evening concert at St Dominic’s Priory.Programme: Duruflé  RequiemFree admission but donations are kindly welcomed to support both The Purcell School and the church organ restoration fund. 

Hinchingbrooke Bosendorfer Piano Concert   Hinchinbrooke Performing Arts Centre, Huntingdon, PE29 3BN            28th March 2025 7.30PMStudents from the Purcell School perform a recital as part of the 18th series of The Hinchingbrooke Bosendorfer Piano Concerts 2024 – 2025.This is a series that hosts internationally acclaimed artists using a superb Bosendorfer concert...

We are delighted to welcome the highly acclaimed musicians Phil Cobb and Helen Vollam to take masterclasses with our brass students. Philip Cobb – Trumpet Philip is Principal Trumpet of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, having previously held the same position in the London Symphony Orchestra from the age of 21. He studied at the Guildhall School...

Programme to include:Music by Handel and Brahms, new commissions by Julia Simpson and Dan Jenkins, as well as reimagined gems by John Williams and Chick Corea.Philip Cobb – TrumpetPhilip is Principal Trumpet of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, having previously held the same position in the London Symphony Orchestra from the age of 21. He studied at...

Alessandro Borgomanero and Sarah-Jane Bradley Recital Programme: W.A. Mozart – Duo in G Major for Violin and Viola KV 423 J. S. Bach – Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Violin Solo BWV1004 David Matthews (b1943) "Darkness Draws In" (2005) and "Elegiac Variations" (2024) Ernani Aguiar (1950-) – “Duos de Prados”...

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the best of West End theatre.  Experience the drama and joy of your favourite show tunes performed by outstanding vocal talent and live musicians.Featuring hits from:SixGhostWest side StoryEveryone's talking about JamieAnd many more.The concert is free to attend but donations are kindly received. No booking required.More details to...

The Purcell School Chamber ChoirTom Winpenny, directorPhoebe Tak Man Chow, organ

Wigmore Hall Lunchtime Concert2 May 2025 1.00PMWigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2BPThe 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...

Students from the Purcell School perform in an afternoon concert at Benslow Music. For more information and to book tickets, please see the Benslow Music website: https://benslowmusic.org/index.asp?PageID=3312Programme to follow.

Piano Through the Ages, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and more...Some of the Purcell School’s most talented young pianists present a programme that explores how music for keyboard has developed with the advances in the instruments themselves. From Bach, writing for early keyboard instruments (harpsichord, clavichord, organ), to Beethoven who composed for fortepiano, through to Chopin, Janáček...

The Instrumentalist | A journey through colour & music…Harriet Constable author & readerLucy Russell violinMusicians from the Purcell SchoolRead by the author herself, excerpts from Harriet Constable’s debut novel, The Instrumentalist, are woven together here with music by Vivaldi, Correlli and Tartini to tell the story of young Anna Maria, a musical prodigy studying under Vivaldi at the Ospedale...