Mr Burke, CEO of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, grew up in Doncaster and went on to university to study music management.
He spoke to 180 Year 7 students on Tuesday about his role as the orchestra’s CEO and the different people that work for him.
In a rousing talk, he advised the Woodfields Year 7s to follow their dreams and told them to try to be masters of their own fate.
Mr Burke even managed to link this to William Ernest Henley’s poem, Invictus, which all students at Woodfields know off by heart.
After his talk, around 60 budding musicians showed him their musical skills and talent by playing a piece of music called The Girl I Left Behind Me, an old English folk song, as a two-part ensemble.
Woodfields was able to secure this visit through its involvement with the Speakers for Schools programme, a social mobility charity which aims to help state-educated students reach their potential by providing work experience placements and inspirational talks.