Keyboard News

28 Mar 2025

Musicians impress at Music and Arts Festivals

Musicians across the Prep and Senior School are celebrating an extraordinary set of results from a number of Music and Arts Festivals including the Mid-Somerset...

24 Mar 2025

Ezra’s concert raises over £600

As part of the Frome Kindness Festival, Ezra H (Year 10) performed a piano recital on Sunday 16th March. His concert was very well attended,...

24 Mar 2025

Inspiring masterclass by Dame Imogen Cooper

The Keyboard Department was delighted to welcome back Dame Imogen Cooper for a fourth time to work with some of our senior pianists. One of the...

21 Jan 2025

Lunchtime Concerts

January saw a bumper start to the 2025 Lunchtime Concerts, with our Graduate Music Assistants (GMAs) kicking things off on Tuesday 14th, an additional concert...

19 Dec 2024

Professor Ruth Gerald masterclass

December saw a welcome return to Wells by Professor Ruth Gerald. Ruth was previously Head of Keyboard at both the Royal College of Music in...

19 Nov 2024

Festival triumphs

At the annual general meeting of the Taunton Festival of the Arts, one Year 6 pianist was awarded the Chapman Cup for Best Piano Player...

18 Oct 2024

Lunchtime Concerts end Michaelmas Term on a high note

The final Lunchtime Concert of the Michaelmas Term took place in Quilter Hall on Thursday 17th October, with performances from Crystal S (Voice, Upper Sixth),...

17 Oct 2024

International competition success

Many congratulations to the Year 6 pianist who won first place in his age category at the 5th Young Ludwig Youth Music Competition at the...

BBC Young Musician WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

27 Sep 2024

BBC Young Musician live auditions 2024

The BBC Young Musician live audition highlights have been broadcast on BBC Four and are now available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Take a look...

27 Sep 2024

Wells Cathedral School unveils new app

We are thrilled to announce that a new Wells Cathedral School app is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play....

15 Jul 2024

Masterclass by Professor Christopher Elton

The penultimate week of the Trinity Term saw a return visit by Professor Christopher Elton, Emeritus Head of Keyboard at the Royal Academy of Music...

15 Jul 2024

Final performance at Wells for Upper Sixth pianists

Seven Upper Sixth specialist pianists gave their last performance in Wells on Sunday 30th June. This talented group is now headed to the Royal College...

02 Jul 2024

Music School’s 50th anniversary

The 22nd of June was an auspicious day – not only was the School marking the centenary of the Wellensian Association, but it was also...

25 Jun 2024

Dmitri Alexeev masterclass

Early June saw a return visit by Russian concert pianist Dmitri Alexeev. One of the world’s most distinguished artists, Professor Alexeev was the winner of...

18 Jun 2024

Dame Imogen Cooper masterclass

Dame Imogen Copper, one of the world’s most distinguished concert pianists, made a welcome return to Wells last month on Saturday 18th May. After playing...

18 Jun 2024

Year 7-9 Choir and Soloists perform at St Cuthbert’s

Thursday 23rd May saw the upper voices of the Year 7-9 Choir visit St Cuthbert’s Church, Wells, for a beautiful concert of music by Bob...

WCS Wells Cathedral Prep Independent School Lunchtime Concert Somerset England

18 Jun 2024

Prep School Lunchtime Concert

Quilter Hall thundered with applause when one Year 4 and three Year 5s delivered a brilliant Lunchtime Concert on Thursday 6th June.To learn more about...

18 Jun 2024

First place in Henle Piano Competition

Congratulations to a Year 5 pianist who has won first prize in his age category in the Henle International Piano Competition. Co-ordinator of Keyboard, John...

31 May 2024

In memoriam of Chris Farthing

Chris was our lead piano tuner at Wells for over forty years and during that time made a tremendous contribution to the care and development...

29 Apr 2024

Two Moors Festival

We are delighted to share that three Wells pupils are winners of the 2024 Two Moors Festival: a Year 5 pianist, Year 10 violinist Alexander...

22 Mar 2024

Musicians celebrate outstanding Music and Arts Festival results

Musicians across the Prep and Senior School are celebrating an extraordinary set of results from a number of Music and Arts Festivals.As ever, Wells had...

26 Feb 2024

Lunchtime Concerts resume

It was wonderful to get our Lent Term Lunchtime Concerts underway in Quilter Hall. These are an important opportunity for our specialist musicians to perform...

26 Feb 2024

Bach Day

On Tuesday 6th February, we featured J.S. Bach in a day-long celebration of his music installed in the wonderful Gothic spaces of Wells Cathedral. Bach’s...

05 Feb 2024

Prep School pianists at Taunton Festival of the Arts

Two of our Prep School pianists competed at the Taunton Festival of the Arts on Tuesday 30th January.We are pleased to share that the Year 4...

22 Jan 2024

Graduate Music Assistant Lunchtime Concert

Our Lunchtime Concert series started the new year with much excitement as our fabulous team of Graduate and Gap Music Assistants demonstrated just what talented...

21 Dec 2023

Nailsea Festival competitor

A Prep School pianist in Year 5 has won two first prizes in this year’s Nailsea Festival. He is pictured with the adjudicator, Michael Young,...

Jāzeps Vītols International Piano Competition WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

27 Nov 2023

Jāzeps Vītols International Piano Competition

Two Old Wellensians have been awarded prizes in this prestigious competition which was held in Latvia in October. Julian Chan (2018) and Mykyta Burzanitsa (2019)...

27 Nov 2023

Piano masterclass with Ian Fountain

Our international piano masterclass series continued in October with a visit from Ian Fountain, concert pianist and professor of piano at the Royal Academy of...

18 Oct 2023

Piano masterclasses

This year’s series of international piano masterclasses started with visits by two distinguished artists. American pianist Richard Goode, widely revered as one of the world’s...

02 Oct 2023

Lunchtime Concerts return

We have been delighted to restart our Lunchtime Concerts, an important opportunity for our specialist musicians to perform their solo repertoire. Doors open 15 minutes...

10 Jul 2023

Keyboard concert

Eight specialist pianists gave a fine concert for a large audience, including many of the Friends of Music, in Cedars Hall. Their ages ranged from...

10 Jul 2023

Musicians perform at Mayor’s inauguration

On Saturday 20th May our musicians performed at the inauguration of the Mayor of Wells, Mrs Tanys Pullin. Emma Steenkamp (Violin, Year 10), accompanied by...

10 Jul 2023

Senior Jazz Combo at St George’s, Bristol

The Senior Jazz Combo (known as the ‘Jazz Disciples’) performed at St George’s, Bristol, as part of their popular Swing concert series. The group performed...

10 Jul 2023

Music masterclasses

On Thursday 15th June we were very fortunate to welcome recorder player and improviser Robert de Bree for a day of masterclasses and workshops. Robert...

19 Jun 2023

Woody performs ahead of CHATS 15

CHATS 15 took place over half term and Woody Collins (Year 10) performed for half an hour before the talk began. Olivia Fraser, the special...

19 Jun 2023

Cello and piano diploma celebrations

A group of musicians have just received their well-deserved diploma certificates. Congratulations to Luca Wiseman (ATCL Cello, Year 9), Harry Jordan (LTCL Cello, Year 11),...

23 May 2023

Sound of Wells Festival

From Thursday 18th-Sunday 21st May, many of our pupils were involved in the Sound of Wells Festival.Beginning on Thursday lunchtime with a recital given by...

11 May 2023

Concerto Competition finale

The Concerto Competition Finale saw six outstanding performances from Lily Owens (flute, Year 11), James Mayhew (piano), Kamil Kulich (piano), Jeremy Tan (violin), Sean Foong...

09 May 2023

An inspiring and thought-provoking afternoon on careers in Music

Cedars Hall was full of our young musicians on Thursday 27th April to hear presentations on very different musical career paths given by Sophie Lewis,...

01 May 2023

Newport Rhode Island International Piano Competition 2023

Congratulations to a Year 4 pianist and Bibi Redford (Lower Sixth) who were both awarded first prizes in their respective age categories in the Newport Rhode Island International...

Mid-Somerset Festival Wells Cathedral School WCS an Independent Prep in England

24 Mar 2023

Mid-Somerset Festival 2023 Results

Once again, our musicians turned out in force to participate in The Mid-Somerset Festival, and took home a huge number of major awards.This highly competitive...

Internationally Renowned Pianist WCS Wells Cathedral School Independent Prep Somerset England

22 Feb 2023

Wells Cathedral School welcomes James Lai

Award-winning young Indonesian pianist James Napoleon Lai recently celebrated a highly successful two weeks at Wells Cathedral School in the UK.The two-week residency formed part...

01 Feb 2023

Trinity ATCL Diploma Piano Examination Successes

Congratulations to Lucille Raynal (Year 9) and Elizabeth Massey (Year 11) on completion of the Trinity ATCL Diploma Examination on the Piano. Lucille was awarded...

20 Dec 2022

Amelia and Josh Win Heat in Rotary Competition

Congratulations to Amelia Wise (Lower Sixth) and Josh Milton (Upper Sixth) who won their Rotary Competition heats. The Rotary Competition consists of four heats, for...

Dr Sarah Upjohn WCS Wells Cathedral Independent School Somerset England

11 Nov 2022

Dr Sarah Upjohn Gives Wellbeing Talk To Musicians

As part of our commitment to the wellbeing of our pupils and of our young musicians, Dr Sarah Upjohn visited the School to give a...

26 Sep 2022

Lunchtime Concerts Launched By GMAs

Quilter Hall held the first of many lunchtime concerts taking place throughout the academic year, beginning with a concert by the School’s new GMAs. Mr...

Piano Wells Cathedral Independent School Somerset WCS

27 Jun 2022

School Celebrates Piano Successes

Congratulations are in order as we celebrate several recent piano pupil successes.Bridget Yee (Upper Sixth) has won first prize and Best Overall Competitor prize at...

RCM John Byrne HRH The Prince of Wales Royal College Music Wells Cathedral Independent School Somerset

15 Jun 2022

HRH The Prince of Wales Presents RCM Awards To John Byrne and OW Ashby Mayes

In May, HRH The Prince of Wales presented the School’s Head of Piano, John Byrne, and Old Wellensian, Ashby Mayes, with major awards conferred by...

Joe Tong, piano teacher at our Specialist Music School in Somerset

24 Jan 2022

Piano Teacher Joe Tong Plays on BBC Radio 3

One of our Piano Teachers, Joe Tong, played pieces by Sibelius and Schumann live on BBC Radio 3 this week. He was joined by his...

09 Nov 2021

New Director of Music

The Governors and Head Master of Wells Cathedral School are delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Alex Laing as the new Director of Music.The...

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