March 3, 2025
About the Author: Arwen
Planning to visit or move to London and have no idea where to begin your piano journey?
This article is your ultimate guide, offering practical insights on the best places, resources, and opportunities for pianists in the city.
An Introduction to The History of London’s Musical Heritage
London has been a key center for music since the 16th century, with a rich musical history that continues to thrive today.
From its prestigious concert halls to the buskers filling the streets, the city is alive with melodies.
In 1676, the York Building became the first public concert hall in London, marking the beginning of a growing tradition.
Concert halls grew in popularity during the Classical Period, providing a space for performances by composers of the time.
Although London’s musical life suffered in the late 18th century, visits from composers like Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven helped revitalise it.
The need for more permanent venues led to the construction of iconic concert halls, including the Royal Albert Hall, opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 as a tribute to her late husband, Prince Albert.
From Handel and Chopin to today’s virtuosos, London has long been home to some of the most influential figures in piano music.
Why Choose London?
London is the birthplace of countless notable and renowned musicians and composers with many prestigious music schools.
The city boasts high-profile music institutions and universities.
London’s Royal College of Music is ranked as the top university for studying music in the world!
London also claims second place with Royal Academy of Music according to top universities’ website.
Looking at the statistics, there is no doubt about whether London is the right place when it comes to studying towards a degree in music.
Some of the most famous concert halls reside in London, furthermore emphasising this city’s musical heritage.
The Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Theatre and Camden Roundhouse just to name a few.
London is known for its thrilling piano concerts which feature top class pianists and world renowned performances.
London also has some of the best live music bars, where you can get booked for a gig or even just grab a drink and get inspired by the tunes.
In this guide, we will look at some of the best piano stores in town, must-see concert halls and some tips for those new to the city.
The Best Piano Stores
Steinway & Sons
Address: 44 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2DB
Website: www.steinway.co.uk
A world-renowned name in piano craftsmanship, Steinway & Sons has been creating exceptional pianos since 1853.
Their London showroom offers a selection of handcrafted grand and upright pianos, catering to concert pianists, professionals, and enthusiasts.
Steinway also provides practise rooms, technical services, and special events for pianists.
Yamaha Music London
Address: 152-160 Wardour St, London
Website: www.yamahamusiclondon.com
Yamaha is famous for their musical instruments, being considered to be one of the best of the best since the 80’s.
The Yamaha Store is an exciting destination for musicians to shop for high quality instruments and more.
Peregrine’s Pianos
Address: 137 and, 137A Grays Inn Rd,London
Website: www.peregrines-pianos.com
An award winning piano dealer offering prime instruments for pianists from amateur to professional.
This store is perfect for buying new pianos, second hand or even renting a piano.
They also offer top-class music rehearsal facilities, each room accompanied with a piano.
Markson Pianos
Address: 7-8, Chester Court, Albany St
Website: www.marksonpianos.com
Markson is a family business that was established in 1910 and continues to offer sound advice and instruments.
Markson claims to be London’s leading piano supplier where you can buy, sell, and rent a piano.
Visit our website for more high-quality piano shops in the UK.
London’s Top Concert Halls and Performance Venues
London is full of iconic concert halls for piano lovers, both performing or attending alike!
Some of the biggest piano festivals are held in London and definitely worth adding to your list of ‘things to do in London’;
Royal Albert Hall
Probably one of the most famous concert halls in the city, if not the whole world, the Royal Albert Hall is an esteemed venue for the world’s leading artists’ performances.
With a seating capacity of 5,272, this concert hall is covered by a gigantic glass dome that spans over 20,000 square feet.
It is the largest unsupported glass dome in the world and is described as an architectural extravaganza.
Wigmore Hall
Famous for its astonishing acoustics for classical music, Wigmore Hall is a Renaissance style concert hall, residing in west London.
They offer live streams among various other things such as events and even learning programmes yearly for anyone to take part in music.
Wigmore Hall’s learning programmes host workshops, engaging with the community regularly.
Although the concert hall only has a capacity of 552 seats, it reaches many audiences far and wide.
Barbican Centre
This performing arts centre is the largest of its kind in the whole of Europe.
It has two theaters, a concert hall, three cinemas, art galleries, shops and even more!
The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, which are definitely worth checking out.
There is no doubt that it is one of the UK’s architectural treasures, due to the nature of its Brutalist architecture.
Barbican Centre regularly welcomes world-class musicians every year.
Top Tips for Pianists Moving to London
How to network with other pianists
Keep an eye out on social media for posts about piano groups and communities, since most advertising happens there.
The London Piano Meetup Group, which can be found on FaceBook, is a community of pianists that get together every few weeks which can be a great start at finding like-minded musicians.
Where to find capable piano teachers
Good teachers can be hard to find, but if you are reading this you’re in luck!
London Piano Institute offers piano lessons for all skill levels, taught by only proficient pianists.
Steinway, a world-class piano company, acknowledges The London Piano Institute as a ‘piano academy for adults like no other’.
We offer online lessons too, as well various other instrumental lessons.
To get started on your first piano lesson, simply click here.
Whether you’re visiting for a short time or even planning on moving here, this guide will help pave the way for you to make the most out of London and what it has to offer.
