Many staff members combine their teaching with busy performing schedules and our teachers include members of the major London orchestras. Section heads of Woodwind, Brass, Percussion, Strings, Guitar, Piano and Jazz, Rock and Pop provide an extra layer of support and mentorship. Our Taster Scheme ensures that every new boy, who does not already play a musical instrument, is offered lessons free of charge on an instrument of his choice.
Our tiered ensemble system provides opportunities for musicians at all levels. Over 50 groups rehearse each week. These include Symphony Orchestra, four string orchestras, three wind bands, four big bands, percussion and guitar ensembles, and jazz, rock and pop groups.
Chamber music thrives and we were proud to be awarded the Pro Corda Special Award for Schools in recognition of our ‘outstanding contribution’ to chamber music playing.
Formal and informal performance opportunities are organised each week and it is not uncommon for there to be more than 50 of these each term.
Singing is fundamental to our educational philosophy and opportunities are offered to all students. Every boy sings in a class choir in his first year and large numbers opt to sing in one of the many choirs which meet each week. The choir’s professional schedule includes operas at home and abroad, tours throughout the world and recordings for major film soundtracks.
The Trinity Boys’ Choir is the only school choir to be invited to sing regularly in the BBC Proms Festival – the world’s biggest music festival. It appears regularly in the BBC Proms Festival, at The Royal Opera House, in the Glyndebourne Festival, and with the major London orchestras. Many boys with no previous singing experience find themselves performing on professional stages within their first year.
Sixth Form girls enjoy a similarly broad range of opportunities and often collaborate with the Boys’ Choir on studio recordings.
Our Music Prospectus provides the full picture of all that is great about music at Trinity!
Head of Music
Concerts take place in the Trinity Concert Hall, the Mitre Theatre and the Recital Hall and these are complemented by smaller rooms such as the Choir Room and Steinway Suite; perfect for masterclasses and workshops.
Recording facilities are integrated into our performing spaces and the studio boasts professional-standard equipment. We have an outstanding range of school instruments including Steinway pianos, a three-manual Wyvern Custom Organ, a two-manual Goble harpsichord, a Dolmetsch virginal, and a full range of high quality orchestral percussion instruments.
Trinity became the first All Steinway School in London in 2012 and now benefits from an impressive fleet of 25 pianos, including two model D concert grand pianos and five further grand pianos. The Steinway Suite is the first teaching facility of its kind in the world, offering exceptional practice and research facilities. The annual Steinway Scholarship – again the first of its kind in the world – supports talented young pianists by providing tuition with Professor Vanessa Latarche, Head of Keyboard at The Royal College of Music; performance opportunities; and attendance at an international piano course.
In addition to the busy professional touring programme of the Boys’ Choir, our instrumental groups undertake an annual summer tour. Recent highlights have included the Symphony Orchestra’s trip to Canada, with Big Band travelling to Cyprus, String Orchestra to Romania and the Symphonic Wind Orchestra to Italy. Meanwhile, a popular junior music course takes place in Cornwall during the May half term, which is open to musicians on all instruments.
Many former Trinity pupils enjoy successful careers in a wide variety of musical disciplines and we believe that it is important to introduce our pupils to the professional world of music-making. Young singers are fortunate, through the work of the Boys’ Choir, to perform regularly alongside world-class musicians. Similarly exciting opportunities are also available to our instrumentalists. These include concerts for our pianists at Steinway Hall, London, and for our guitarists at the London Guitar Studio. Big Band presents an annual concert at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club each year and our chamber musicians visit Italy to present concerts and attend masterclasses, while junior musicians go to Castagnetto Carducci in Tuscany, and senior players to Palazzo Cavagnis in Venice.
Trinity Leaver
We are delighted to be able to share the excellence of our facilities and teaching with gifted young musicians from the South London area through our Saturday Music Academy. This specialist school offers individual teaching, composition classes, chamber music, orchestral and solo performing platforms and a series of masterclasses to ambitious young musicians. It is open to both Trinity and non-Trinity children.
Beth, former Sixth Former
Recording for Disney at the famous Abbey Road Studios was definitely a highlight!
Listen to our Girls' ChoirTrinity parent
The opportunities for guitarists are exceptional and were a very pleasant surprise!
Listen to one of our studentsCristian Persinaru, Head of Strings
In Venice, our chamber musicians are treated like professionals, giving concerts to discerning audiences.
Listen to our Chamber GroupAudience member
I listened in awe to the big and small bands - their performances I will always remember!
Listen to Trinity Big Band
