This summer, Sing for Hope Pianos will resume, taking 88 (representing the number of keys on a piano) rehabbed pianos that have been decorated by school children and artists and placing them in Central Park and throughout the city for the public and volunteer professional musicians to play.
The pianos project is one component of an outreach program by Sing for Hope, a grassroots group founded in 2006 by two opera singers, Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus. The group is comprised of over 1,000 artists who volunteer to make art easily accessible to the public, especially those who might otherwise not have access to the arts.
The two week piano festival began in 2010, when Zamora and Yunus partnered with British artist Luke Jerram, and continued the following year under the name Pop Up Pianos. Last year there was insufficient funding for a return, but this year it will continue with major funding from the New York-based Greek yogurt company Chobani.
Preparation for the festival has already begun. The group is currently tasked with recruiting "piano buddies" to care for the instruments, particularly in inclement weather; organizing a team of technicians to keep them tuned; and transporting all the pianos to a warehouse to be painted. They are also currently accepting applications from artists and students to decorate the pianos. Past artists have included Isaac Mizrahi and Julian Schnabel.
The festival begins June 1. At its conclusion, the pianos will be donated to local organizations, schools and hospitals where artists from Sing for Hope volunteer by bringing concerts and workshops in the arts.
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