Virtuoso performances hit all the right notes at the official opening of the Bermuda School of Music on Friday.

The school celebrated its new home at the former Berkeley Institute with a Grand Opening ceremony accompanied by performances from its talented staff and students.

Welcoming the assembled guests, general manager Gregory Smith said: "It's a real milestone for us to be here in this new building. Just over a year ago we found we had to move from the Old Colony Club and so it's just under a year we've been here, up and running."

The school found out in January of last year that it had to move, with the sale of the Old Colony Club. In May however, the old Berkeley Institute became available and in June the renovations started. The 20 teachers and more than 1,000 students now have several studios and two large multi-function rooms in which to give recitals and concerts.

The Bermuda School of Music - originally founded by Anne Brown with the 'Dunbarton School' in 1978, is a charity which hands out more than $40,000 in bursaries each year to up to 50 students. Contributors to the bursary scheme have now been commemorated with ornamental bricks in the school's hallways.

On Friday, Board chairman Mark Smith also thanked all the donors who have contributed towards the renovation of the new premises in the F.S. Furbert Building. Companies, organisations and individual donors were presented with the plaques which will be placed in the recital rooms and studios to be named after them.

Mr. Smith said: "A year ago, the school faced a tremendous challenge. Our old home of 15 years in the Colony Club was to be redeveloped and we had to move. Fortunately the old Berkeley Institute was looking for tenants and we made an agreement for a lease of 20 years.

"We found a home but it needed renovating. The initial costs for renovation would cost about $1 million and that was about $1 million more than we had, but while we didn't have the money, we did have friends. Many of you are here today. You answered our call for help and thanks to your generosity, in a little over nine months we raised cash and pledges over $960,000."

Senator and HOTT 107.5 radio presenter Thaao Dill then officially opened the school, cutting a red ribbon. Mr. Dill, who learned to play the flute between the ages of seven and 16, said: "I am really excited to be here, knowing that this historic building is going to continue to make history and affect the community in such a positive way.

"Seeing the young folk demonstrating the incredible talent they have and the focus they've been given to develop that by the staff is very exciting, and I can't wait to receive their future recordings to play and to let Bermuda know how talented they are."

Performances from the faculty and students included: the children's Treble Choir; Brahms's 'Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34', 1st movement, performed by Margaret Macpherson, Lisa Hollis, Jennifer Sheridan, Laura Appert and Caroline Eaton; 'Your Daddy's Son' from Ragtime, sung by Khalilah Smith with Oliver Grant on piano; 'Gavotte' by Gossec, from the Suzuki String Group (Haley Williams, David Darrell, Brittney Ferreira, Meinhardt Rentrup, Kilian Rentrup, Naphisa Smith and Jade Blyden); Mozart's 'Turkish March' by seven-year-old Erik Gunby on the piano; Clementi's 'Sonatina in F Major' performed by Olivia Onyia; Piazzolla's 'Nightclub 1960' from 'Histoire du Tango' by David France (violin) and Louise Southwood (guitar); and the jazzy 'More Brothers' by Lamont, performed by Oliver Grant (piano), Doug Frith (sax), and Shelton Bean (snare drum and high hat).