Sing for Hope Pianos To Celebrate Fifth Anniversary
New York City's Largest Annual Public Art Program To Unveil 50 Pianos on 28 Liberty Plaza on June 6th
NEW YORK, April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sing for Hope will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its legendary community arts program, The Sing for Hope Pianos, with a launch event at the iconic 28 Liberty Plaza on Monday, June 6th. To date, the Sing for Hope Pianos program has placed 286 public instruments throughout New York City, making the city host to more street pianos than any other in the world.
Each year, Sing for Hope selects local and international artists to create unique piano artworks that are placed in parks and other public spaces for two weeks during the summer. Anyone and everyone is invited to play. This year, through a special partnership with the New York City Department of Education, Sing for Hope will place all of the Sing for Hope Pianos in permanent homes in NYC public schools after the pianos' time on the streets, benefiting thousands of New York City school children. One piano, designed by Eric and Jessie James Decker, will be donated to one of the New York-area veterans' care centers where Sing for Hope provides year-round arts programming.
"From the South Bronx and the Rockaways to Staten Island and Times Square, the Sing for Hope Pianos have become synonymous with summertime in New York City. We are thrilled to bring these pianos to life at 28 Liberty as we prepare to fill our city with music, art, and community for a fifth year," said Sing for Hope Co-Founders Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora. "And we are delighted that, after their time in the parks, The 2016 Sing for Hope Pianos will go on to permanent homes in our city's public schools, opening creative doorways for students for years to come."
An icon of Lower Manhattan, 28 Liberty, a Fosun Property Holdings building, has provided a full 34,000-square-foot floor to serve as a communal studio for the artists designing the pianos. The 50 completed Sing for Hope Pianos will be unveiled on the 28 Liberty Plaza on Monday, June 6th in an event featuring Tony Award® winning actress Lea Salonga, Tony Award® and Drama Desk nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega, former Late Night with David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer, the dynamic Anderson & Roe Piano Duo, cast members from On Site Opera's acclaimed Figaro Trilogy, and other stars of the NYC music scene, along with student musicians from Sing for Hope's programs. One of the completed Sing for Hope Pianos will remain on the 28 Liberty Plaza for public use from June 9th to June 19th, while the other pianos will be available for use in other public spaces throughout the five boroughs before being placed in their permanent homes in public schools around New York City.
As in previous years, celebrities are also contributing their energy, talent, and time to design The 2016 Sing for Hope Pianos, including singer Jessie James Decker and her husband, Eric Decker of the New York Jets, Nathan Sykes (formerly of The Wanted), singer Greyson Chance, Bruce Weber, the casts of hit Broadway shows Bright Star and Fun Home, and haute couture designer Georges Chakra. Artists and celebrities who have previously donated their time and talent to create Sing for Hope Pianos include fashion designers John Varvatos, Isaac Mizrahi, Kate Spade, and Diane Von Furstenberg; visual artists Julian Schnabel and Scott Taylor; and media mogul Arianna Huffington.
"We are thrilled to support Sing for Hope through The Sing for Hope Pianos! Music is a huge part of our lives and we have been blessed with all the tools we need to create and enjoy music with our family and fans. We are designing a Sing for Hope Piano on behalf of our foundation, the Eric and Jessie Decker Foundation, to bring music to those who don't readily have access to it. We are excited to support this worthwhile cause and to donate our piano to a veteran's charity in need," said Eric and Jessie Decker.
As part of the celebration on June 6th, Lea Salonga will be presented with the Sing for Hope "Art for All" Award for her dedication to inspiring young people with the gift of music throughout her career. Known across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch, Lea is best known for her Tony Award® winning role in Miss Saigon, and can be recognized as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan from Mulan and Mulan II. Ms. Salonga is expected to perform upon her acceptance of the award. Previous recipients of the "Art for All" Award include Tony Bennett, Renée Fleming, Muhammad Yunus, Joe Flom, and Ann Ziff.
In time for the big reveal of the 2016 Sing for Hope Pianos, the world's first-ever mobile app for street piano discovery and engagement will be available. The app will help people to discover, visit and play the pianos – and then share their experiences via social media. Now in its second year, the app will, for the first time, allow people to take curated tours of the pianos, discover special concerts by artists and performers taking place at the pianos, and compete to win "piano prizes." The app, designed and developed by Craver Inc., will be free to download and available in the app store. The full lineup of 2016 Sing for Hope Piano artists and public locations will be announced shortly via the app and www.SingforHope.org.
The 2016 Sing for Hope Pianos are made possible in part by the support of Fosun International and 28 Liberty, and by Sing for Hope's Founders' Circle, including The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy Arnhold, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, and Ann Ziff.
To download hi-res images, please visit www.SingforHope.org/2016media
About Sing for Hope
Sing for Hope transforms lives throughout New York City by bringing the power of the arts to those who need it most. Through the volunteer service of dedicated artists – opera singers, jazz musicians, dancers, puppeteers, painters, and more – Sing for Hope provides dynamic arts outreach programming to under-resourced communities across NYC. Sing for Hope's programs include collaborative concerts for hospital patients, after-school arts classes for NYC youth, and its flagship public art initiative: The Sing for Hope Pianos. A celebration of Sing for Hope's vision of art for all, this beloved public art project reaches and estimated 2 million New Yorkers and visitors every year. Sing for Hope is defined by the volunteerism of artists, the needs of the community, and the belief in the power of the arts to uplift, unite and transform. Founded in 2006, Sing for Hope is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. More information can be found at www.SingforHope.org.
About Craver
Craver is a New York City-based company that creates apps and experiences designed to help people discover more culture they will love with help from trusted friends, critics, and experts. Its Culture Craver (www.CultureCraver.com or http://apple.co/1ICYfBb) is a comprehensive guide to what's happening (with 1000+ events per day), a niche social network for arts lovers, and a recommendation engine that provides custom smart recommendations based on users' tastes over time.
SOURCE Sing for Hope
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