Encore! Downtown Alliance Joins Sing for Hope to Launch Second Year of Pop-Up Pianos in New York City

The Alliance for Downtown New York is excited to have Sing for Hope’s Pop-Up Pianos back for another summer. Alliance President Elizabeth H. Berger joined Sing for Hope co-founding directors Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus to launch the event today. The project will bring 88 pianos, up from last year’s 60, to parks and public spaces across the five boroughs of New York City.

Three of the pianos will be south of Chambers Street, giving Lower Manhattan’s residents a chance to show off their musical talents and liven up the already vibrant streets. The Lower Manhattan pianos will be located at Battery Park, City Hall Park, and Stone Street.

“Sing for Hope brought the music to Lower Manhattan last summer, giving anyone and everyone a chance to tickle the ivories,” Ms. Berger said. “It was so successful that the Downtown Alliance is excited that it’s returning for an encore presentation.”

Ms. Berger had the chance to follow in the footsteps of her mother, who performed at the launch event last summer, and dazzle the audience at the elegant Stone Street piano today. “The Dazzler,” as it is called, is jazzed up with a board of blue gems, and it rests on the corner, waiting for a virtuoso to perform for restaurant-goers and passersby.

Designer Isaac Mizrahi and actor B.D. Wong were among the artists who remodeled the upbeat pianos, which will be open to the public from this Saturday, June 18 to July 2. Upon conclusion of their two-week public residency, the pianos will be donated to local schools, hospitals, and community organizations where they will continue to realize Sing for Hope’s vision that all New Yorkers have access to the arts.

For images and video footage from the Sing for Hope Launch, visit the Downtown Alliance’s Flickr and YouTube pages.