In the back of a leaky cupboard in the Little Theatre, a grand piano has been found and restored by local music enthusiasts.

Whakatane musician James McCarthy was hosting classically trained Australian “Queen of Boogie” pianist Jan Preston and searching for a piano she could use for an impromptu concert when he was alerted to the recent find.

Fellow local pianist Leny Woolsey had heard of the "stumbling upon” of a grand piano by another party using the Little Theatre and suggested it to Mr McCarthy as an option for Ms Preston’s April performance.

When Mr McCarthy visited the theatre to assess the piano’s potential, he found it sitting uncovered in a leaky cupboard.

“I thought it seems to be in reasonably good shape, and the tone at least sounds quite good,” he said.

Mr McCarthy paid for Maketu piano tuner Gordon Meder to get the newly discovered grand piano up to scratch for return to the stage.

As Mr Meder was tuning the piano, he told Mr McArthy he remembered tuning it 20 years prior – and he was the last person to tune it. He said it was a “very good piano”, and estimated it was made in the 1950s.

The pair spent the day investigating and restoring the instrument to concert pitch.

Ms Wooley said once the piano was ready, it was used by Jan Preston for an “astounding blues performance”.

“After the success of playing it with Jan, James and I thought it would be a shame if it was neglected again. We wanted to showcase the instrument to the community.”

Mr McCarthy also wants to share the instrument with the community.

“Pianos lose their tone if they’re not played – we were surprised this one actually still has really good tone. Now it’s up and working, it’s a resource there to play.”

The group created an opportunity with their fellow band members and special guest Hani Totorewa to hold a second concert, introducing the piano to the community.

This event doubled as a fundraiser for a piano cover to ensure the instrument can continue to survive in the leaky cupboard.

Both performers and audience were positioned on stage behind the curtain at Little Theatre, creating an intimate musical experience.

Band members were dressed in 1920s aesthetic, and Mr Totorewa debuted a beautiful original song on the piano.

The audience raised $980, and All Upholstery was more than happy to design and craft the perfect cover for this piano.

Mr McCarthy is still seeking information on the piano’s history and would like to hear from anyone who knows something about the instrument.

Ms Woolsey hopes community groups make use of the rediscovered resource.

“It’s there, ready and in reasonable condition. It will be protected with the cover long into the future and will last as long as it’s played.”