About Chetham's School of Music
With 290 students, age 8 - 18, Chetham's is the largest Music School in the UK, and the only Music School based in the North of England.
What matters at Chets is talent, not background or ability to pay - the School prides itself on accessibility, with 90% of students receiving financial support through the government.
Through a cutting edge music programme, students enjoy exciting musical opportunities, often through collaborations on projects and initiatives with the region's leading cultural lights. Students develop a specialist interest to the highest professional level and all students receive choral training.
As a widely celebrated international Music School, Chetham's is one of the North West's best assets in terms of its international appeal - students from around the globe study at the School and currently come from as far afield as China, Malaysia, Germany, Holland, Japan, Estonia and Korea!
What also makes Chetham's so unique are the medieval buildings it is housed around, which form an integral part of the North West's rich cultural heritage - very nearly 600 years old, they help to create a special magical atmosphere.
Students also enjoy great success on the competition circuit - a third of the semi-finalists at the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006 were Chets students, and two of the five concerto finalists were from the School. Former student Jennifer Pike was the youngest person ever to win the prize in 2002. Other recent successes include violinist Jiafeng Chen at the International Sibelius Violin Competition, where he claimed 2nd overall prize, and Luke Burke's win of the BBC Proms / Guardian Young Composer Award.
Ex-Chets students also include cellist Guy Johnston, pianists Peter Donohoe, Paul Lewis and Stephen Hough, organist Wayne Marshall, conductor Daniel Harding and french horn player and jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock.
