Lunchtime visitors to UBS's City offices might be surprised to see a grand piano in the middle of the foyer. If they are lucky, they might even see one of the company's employees playing it.

The bank recently had the impressive instrument installed so members of the company's music club could spend their lunch breaks tinkling the ivories instead of grabbing a sandwich at Starbucks.

In fact, the grand in the foyer is merely the most visible manifestation of an unusual corporate commitment to music. For employees interested in learning, UBS subsidises piano lessons. It has a partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra and puts on concerts in its foyer. And, as well as its music club, it has a choir and an orchestra, which will be holding its debut concert in September.

Richard Hardie, the club's president and vice-chair of UBS Ltd, says it arose out of the bank's sponsorship of the LSO and its involvement in an academy in Hackney. "We were meeting a lot of people internally with an interest in music and thought there must be scope to establish a music club," he says.

Catherine Hayes, a member of the choir who works in human resources, says it allows her to maintain an interest from her student years. "I was a fresh graduate from Cambridge and very passionate about choral singing," she says. "I thought I'd have to give all that up when I started work. Instead I went along to a music club session and found myself setting up a choir."

Chulayuth Lochotinan, a conductor from the operations department, says the idea for an orchestra was originally mooted at a meeting of the music club. Most of the members are from the bank, though there are also some players from the LSO. It gives employees from the different departments the chance to mix and, given the hours bankers typically work, it would be very difficult to do this if it was not at the office. "One person I know sometimes commutes from Kent with his cello," he says. "I'm lucky. I only have to carry a baton."

UBS is not the only organisation whose employees are enjoying the sound of music. At the City offices of Allen and Overy, there are two music practice rooms with pianos. The law firm has a choir, organises ballet and dance lessons and, as part of its alumni programme last year, staged a performance of The Pirates of Penzance.

A&O says that, beyond light relief from high-powered careers, its musical initiatives help promote work-life balance in a culture of long hours.

According to UBS, groups such as the orchestras and choir – where talented individuals work together for a greater goal – also teach lessons for business. "If you're managing a team of 40 people on our trading desk, you want world-class soloists who can play as a team," Mr Hardie says.

If organisations expect more from their workforce than nine to five, this is exactly the kind of thing they should be providing, according to Arts and Business, an organisation that brings businesses and the arts together to create partnerships. "Companies often look after employees' bodies by providing a gym, but they fail to look after their minds," says Philip Spedding of A&B's world division.

"If an hour on the piano gets you out of a mental rut, then it's a benefit for the business."

Of course, the downside of music is that there may be those whose enthusiasm outstrips their talent. Ms Hayes says this is not a problem in the UBS choir. "It tends to self-select. If you are unable to do it, then you probably realise this fairly quickly and you won't enjoy being there."

But in public there have to be rules. "If you want to play the piano in the foyer," Mr Lochotinan says, "you need to be recognised as a competent musician."