DAME Judi Dench’s old school in York has taken delivery of ten new Steinway pianos to become North Yorkshire’s first all-Steinway school.

Pupils of all ages from the all-girl Mount School in Dalton Terrace held a special recital today to unveil the new pianos.

Students and staff travelled to London in late January to select their new instruments from Steinway & Sons’ famed ‘piano bank’. Whilst at Steinway Hall, the girls learned about the manufacturing process for the gold-standard pianos and heard all about the company’s history.

Click here for gallery of old photos from The Mount School

Head of music Rachel Derbyshire, said: “We are delighted with the opportunities this investment creates for our girls, who look forward to working with visiting Steinway artists in addition to our wonderful specialist peripatetic teaching staff. This investment comes at an exciting time for The Mount School. I am proud of how our All-Steinway status reinforces our belief in the importance of creativity in girls’ education.”

The Mount is the UK’s first girls’ boarding school and the first all-girls’ school in the North of England to receive the internationally recognised designation as an All-Steinway School. Only 20 schools in the UK have this accreditation, along with three conservatories and six universities.

Girls at the school will have regular masterclasses with Steinway artists and the chance to perform in the recital space at Steinway Hall.