Beyond the blue door

Beyond the blue door… news from our alumni Celebrity Six Creative Thinkers

The School has over 700 alumni around the world. With our 50th anniversary approaching in the 2022/23 academic year, we’re keen to connect and reconnect with as many former pupils as possible. Alumni Connect is our new online website and portal – a place where alumni can keep in touch and share news, events and photographs.

If you are a former instrumentalist or chorister or both, or if you know anyone who is, please head over to

stmarysmusic.ptly.uk and register your details.

• Harpist Steaph Chaimbeul made her professional debut with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra in February.

This academic year, we launched our fourth Celebrity Six Series with the theme of ‘Creative Thinkers’. According to Will Conway, the School’s Artistic Director, this is “… less about holding masterclasses and more about bringing in people who are instrumentalists… and more.”

Pekka Kuusisto, violinist and conductor, launched our fourth series with an hour of conversation, music and insight with our pupils on 24 September. Renowned for his artistic freedom and fresh approach to repertoire, Pekka is Artistic Director of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Artistic Partner with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra among many other high profile music roles.

• The Castalian String Quartet, which includes alumnus Daniel Roberts, played in the Carnegie Hall on 17 February.

• Congratulations to Kate Rocket on her new appointment as Director of the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Based in the Netherlands, the Orchestra plays on period instruments to bring to life masterpieces from the 18th and early 19th centuries. Kate, who hails from Northumberland, was at St Mary’s Music School from 1994 – 97 and studied trombone with John Kenny and cello with Ruth Beauchamp.

• A capacity audience was mesmerised by Steven Osborne OBE as he completed his journey through Books 1 and 2 of Debussy’s Etudes on the Steinway Model B in the School Chapel, on Friday 11 February. It was the perfect way to mark the middle of the spring term, before we broke up for the half-term holiday. Check out the back page for more news on Steven and his recent OBE.

Primary news round-up

Hot on the heels of our Burns Supper, held in the Dining Hall on 27 January, our talented primary, S1 and S2 pupils took part in our Robert Burns Junior Poetry Competition on Friday 4 February. Each year produced a winner, with Suzie (P6) and Summer (P7) both reciting To a Louse; Connie (S1) reciting Address to the Toothache and William (S2) reciting A Dream. Congratulations to all the winners, who received certificates and large chocolate bunnies! Anna Meredith MBE joined us via Zoom on 21 January. A composer producer and performer of both acoustic and electronic music, her work straddles contemporary, classical, art pop, techno, large-scale installation and contemporary rock. Anna’s music has featured in everything from BBC’s Last Night of the Proms to fashion campaigns for Prada, Chloé and Fendi, and she is currently Composer in Residence with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Clifton Harrison, violist, ‘Zoomed’ into the School on Friday 25 February and spoke eloquently about his love for his viola and the viola d’amore. A born communicator and inspiring speaker, he enthralled our pupils with his insight into improvisation, orchestra and chamber music, his approach to teaching, and his range of music pursuits which includes piano, percussion, film and dance.

Gillian Moore CBE, Director of Music and Performing Arts at the South Bank Centre in London, will be talking to pupils and staff via Zoom on Sunday 27 March. Born in Glasgow, Gillian has worked to bring music and the arts to the widest possible community for over 35 years. Committed to developing initiatives for finding new audiences, and addressing issues of diversity and equality in music, Gillian has collaborated with and commissioned works from many of the great musical and artistic figures of our age.

Check our website for the next guests in our series of Creative Thinkers www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk