Music Plays on Downtown! Lower Manhattan to Enjoy Public Piano Through Mid-October

08/02/2011
Music Plays on Downtown! Lower Manhattan to Enjoy Public Piano Through Mid-October

Building on the extraordinary success of Sing for Hope’s two-week pop-up piano project, the Alliance for Downtown New York is keeping the music playing in Lower Manhattan with its very own public piano.

Located at the expanded pedestrian space in front of 25 Broad Street, the Downtown Alliance’s upright piano will be available from 9 AM to 6:30 PM seven days a week through October 15th. To keep the piano in tune during extreme weather conditions – the Downtown Alliance installed a keyboard into a rehabilitated piano frame.

“For two summers now, Sing for Hope’s program has given thousands of workers, residents and visitors from around the world a chance to tickle the ivories,” said Elizabeth H. Berger, President of the Downtown Alliance. “We are excited to keep the music playing in Lower Manhattan with our very own public piano. Thank you to the Department of Transportation and the Mayor’s Office of Special Events for helping us extend this fabulous public program through the fall.”

Pleased to see their idea is encouraging similar projects, Sing for Hope’s Managing Director Bobby Kean said, "Sing for Hope is proud to have inspired the Downtown Alliance and its upcoming street piano installation. We are thrilled that the 2011 Sing for Hope Pop-Up Piano project was so successful and has motivated our close collaborators to do their utmost to continue their support of Sing for Hope's mission to bring art and music to the people of New York City."

In June, Elizabeth Berger joined Sing for Hope co-founding directors Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus in Lower Manhattan to launch the second year of the Pop-Up Pianos Program. Three of the 88 pianos were located Downtown.