Two of our most talented pianists (from Form 5 and Form 6) had the opportunity to enjoy a masterclass at Steinway Hall in London. This is the main branch of the world-renowned piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons.
Director of Music, Mr Simon Kirk, enthused, “We were made to feel very welcome at Steinway Hall and had a wonderful day. In the masterclass, our two pupils gave an excellent account of themselves and Charles Owen, 'one of the finest British pianists of his generation' (Gramophone Magazine), was hugely helpful and inspiring. The boys also had the opportunity to play the Steinway Model D which had just on that day returned to base from the 2019 Proms Season at the Royal Albert Hall; in the last few weeks, it has been played by Martha Argerich amongst others and enjoyed by audiences all around the world. Our pupils were also able to record and listen to themselves on one of the extraordinarily cutting-edge Steinway Spirio pianos. On the tour of the salesrooms and the technicians' area, the quality of workmanship and attention to detail was breathtakingly impressive.
Our Form 6 pianist explained, “The day included a 40-minute masterclass with Steinway Artist Charles Owen, and a tour of the Steinway showroom and factory, including playing a piano that had been used for this year’s BBC proms! We were made to feel very welcome at Steinway Hall, and had a thoroughly inspiring day. For me, the highlight of the day was playing the amazing Spirio ‘R’ piano, which could record you playing, and play it back to you!” The Form 5 pianist commented, “It was a very good opportunity because we not only had a masterclass with a very profound pianist, we also were able to look around the museum and learn how Steinways are made and how they have developed through the years since it was first created by one man.”
