Purcell School 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert

Royal Festival Hall, Monday 19 March 2012, 7:30 pm

A concert to mark the 50th anniversary of The Purcell School, featuring its Symphony Orchestra and a starry line up of alumni soloists.

Internationally renowned conductor Paul Daniel conducts The Purcell School Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Holst's Planets, Beethoven's Triple Concerto with Robert Cohen, Jack Liebeck and Jianing Kong, and a new concertante work by Joseph Phibbs commissioned specially for this occasion for Nicholas Daniel, Tim Thorpe and Catrin Finch.

The Purcell School is Britain's oldest specialist school for talented young musicians. In 2003 the School was awarded the UNESCO Mozart Gold Medal in recognition of its unique contribution to music, education and international culture.

"Musical talent can exhibit itself very early in life and creative musical experience may occur in very young children. It is important that this talent, as soon as it appears, should be recognised and directed aright."

With these words, written in 1962, Sir Thomas Armstrong opened his preface to The Purcell School's first prospectus. Founded by Rosemary Rapaport and Irene Foster as the United Kingdom's first specialist music school, The Purcell School of Music has grown to become an international centre of excellence. In its present site in Hertfordshire, it is now home to 180 young musicians, providing for their musical, academic and pastoral needs. Drawing on the rich cultural resources of Longon, with a consistent record of success and increasing international reputation, the School nurtures talented youngsters in an environment where they can develop alongside each other rather than in isolation. The fundamental ethos of the School established fifty years ago remains unchanged.