Four Gordon’s pianists enjoyed the opportunity of a lifetime when they took part in a masterclass with Charles Owen, a leading British classical pianist, at Steinway Hall, home of Steinway & Sons in Marylebone.

The students, who played a range of music from Chopin to Gershwin, also joined a question and answer session with Mr Owen, professor of piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Steinway & Sons’ UK ambassador.

The events were part of Gordon’s School’s intention to form a partnership with Steinway & Sons and become a Steinway School.

Students also toured Steinway Hall, learning about the history and manufacture of these gold-class instruments and many were able to play on the piano used for the BBC Proms season. Later, students performed for some of the appeal’s donors, including the Arts Society, Mayford.

Each Steinway piano is hand-crafted, with over 12,000 parts and takes almost a year to create.

The school, which this year celebrates its 140th anniversary, are fundraising to purchase a fleet of Steinway pianos, including a grand piano which will be installed in the school’s newly opened Wynter Bee Theatre and will make it one of just 25 all-Steinway Schools in the UK.

Director of music Adam Stanworth said: “The Steinway pianos will ensure all our students will be able to practise, rehearse and be accompanied on the highest-quality instruments. Our students will be able to participate in Steinway-sponsored masterclasses and other events.”

The partnership with Steinway will also benefit other schools in the area as students will be invited to take part in Steinway’s community engagement events at Gordon’s.

The Steinway School announcement marked the start of a fundraising campaign to pay for the instruments and it is hoped that they will be in place by the start of the new academic year in September.

For more information visit www.gordons.school