Bromley High becomes first All Girls’ School in the UK to gain an All Steinway Accreditation

In September 2017 Bromley High School GDST will become the first all girls’ school in the UK to be accredited as an All Steinway School. This accreditation is given when a school provides Steinway pianos to play and rehearse on in all practice and performance spaces.

Pupils of Bromley High were excited to be present at the selection of their Steinway Concert Grand Model D in early July, which involved the renowned concert pianist Joanna MacGregor OBE who is both a Steinway artist and an Alumna of a GDST School. Here you can see the pupils standing outside the famous Steinway London showroom, where the selection took place.

Macgregor chose a magnificent model D that was prepared for the selection and came especially from the Hamburg factory for the occasion.

A happy MacGregor, seated, surrounded by pupils:

By becoming an All Steinway School the students will have the opportunity to attend masterclasses given by Steinway Artists and perform themselves at Steinway Hall.

‘Our educational philosophy values the creative arts very highly’, said Angela Drew, Headmistress of Bromley High School, ‘and we have demonstrated our commitment to the arts not only by investing in these beautiful instruments but in additional staffing to enable the Bromley High Music department to enhance the musical opportunities available to pupils in local primary schools’.

Caroline Daniel, Director of Music at Bromley added: ‘Joanna MacGregor is inspirational, we all came away from the experience wanting to up our practice and aim higher. It was such a privilege to hear her play and discuss the different tone qualities of these beautiful instruments. It is incredibly exciting to become the first all girls' school to gain the Steinway accreditation and very much look forward to not only our girls embarking on a first class musical journey, but ensuring that other local young musicians can benefit from this’.

Said student Tumai: ‘This was a special opportunity that I felt very privileged to be a part of. It was very enjoyable to look and test out some of the pianos as well as learning how they were made. This amazing experience is something I won't soon forget. I look forward to being part of the first all Steinway girls school!’

And Miranda, pictured above on a very large model D grand, added: ‘It was a great experience to see the Steinway pianos in the workshop and to play on a selection of them. My highlight of the day was learning about how the pianos were made in the workshop.’

Photos: Vincent Oliver