Music

At Millfield a full range of academic and instrumental tuition is offered in a purpose-built Music School. With an exciting and busy programme featuring over 70 events, performances range from solo recitals to large-scale ensemble concerts and chamber music concerts, to contemporary evenings, musicals and a whole school House Song. The Music School benefits from a high-profile external performance calendar, participation in renowned music festivals and competitions, regular services and concerts at Wells Cathedral, tours outside the UK, a bi-annual Year 9 residency with Beat Goes On, whilst also hosting a programme of masterclasses and a biennial Concerto Festival, in which students perform a concerto movement with a professional conductor and orchestra. In addition, Millfield Music School has its very own record label project, utilising its professional standard recording studio.

Millfield is fortunate to have the Johnson Hall, our 350-seat Concert Hall with outstanding acoustics and a stage large enough to host a full symphony orchestra and choir. The Johnson Hall Steinway D Piano has been described by international artist Pascal Rogé as “among the ten best pianos I have ever performed on”. The department also has 25 practice rooms, numerous rehearsal spaces and recording studios, all equipped to the highest standard.

Millfield’s large ensemble provision includes: School Choir (Millfield Singers), Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir (Millfield Camerata), String Orchestra, Sinfonietta, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Symphonic Winds and a vibrant Rock and Pop group programme and a rapidly growing Music Production initiative. In addition to this there are numerous Chamber Music ensembles rehearsing every week and competing in national chamber music festivals, in 2025 we were the U19 National Champions at Pro Corda. Our provision for contemporary music is outstanding with enormous opportunities available for both live performance and recording, as well as Millfield Creatives, our composition initiative.

First class instrumental tuition is available to all students on all orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, drums, harp, singing, bag pipes and music production. Every year a significant number of Millfield musicians have gone on to study at some of the finest conservatoires and universities in the world including Berklee College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity Laban, and Universities of Chicago, Leeds, Royal Holloway and Goldsmith’s College. In 2025, leavers have gone on to study music at Oxford University, Trinity Laban and Durham University. We are especially proud of the increasing number of musicians represented in both the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

As well as being the major venue for school concerts, the Johnson Hall also hosts a range of professional performances and recordings. Previous concerts include pianist Pascal Rogé, The Tallis Scholars, Jennifer Pike, London Mozart Players, Oculi Ensemble and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.