Tag: Sing for Hope

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Culture Music NYC

Westfield WTC, Sing for Hope, bring piano for public playing, to the Oculus

Photo: Westfield World Trade Center

Westfield World Trade Center has partnered with Sing for Hope to display a piano in the Oculus, painted by local artist Lance Johnson. The uniquely colorful piano, titled “Evolve” will be available for anyone and everyone to play, listen, interact with, and enjoy, from March 17 to March 27. At the conclusion of the piano’s public residency, it will be moved to a permanent home in a New York City school or community-based organization, where it will inspire lives for years to come.

In addition to the piano being open for the public to play, there will also be free and professional musical performances over the two weekends of its residency. Piano Soloist, Amir Farid, winner of the 2006 Australian National Piano Award, performs on March 19 and 26 from noon to 2:00 pm. The Sing for Hope Quintet will present performances of piano, violin, viola, and cello on March 20 and 27 from noon to 2:00 pm.

Local artist Lance Johnson poses with piano he painted, Evolve, as part of a project with Sing for Hope. Photo: Sing for Hope


The Sing for Hope Pianos program began in New York City in 2010. Today, it is one of the world’s largest annually recurring public arts programs, with more than 570 one-of-a-kind piano artworks in public spaces spanning from The Bronx to Beirut, and from Aspen to Athens. In addition to Westfield World Trade Center, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) will display pianos at Westfield UTC in San Diego, as well as Westfield Topanga and Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. 


“New York City is one of our world’s most inspiring, resilient cities, and we’re thrilled to work with URW to share hope and healing through these beautiful community instruments,” said Monica Yunus, Sing for Hope Co-Founder. Continued Sing for Hope Co-Founder Camille Zamora, “Music and art bring people together, and as the world continues to emerge from the pandemic, the Sing for Hope Pianos continue to spread vital moments of joy, connection, and arts for all.”
“We are so excited to host Sing for Hope at Westfield World Trade Center,” said Diana Grasso, Vice President, URW. “As we continue welcoming commuters, office workers, and local residents back to the Oculus, the power and joy of live music will further enhance our guests experience as they visit, shop, and dine with us.”

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Culture Events Music NYC Theater

Josh Turchin – New York’s Youngest Musical Prodigy

By Olivia Vengel

The month of June is a great time to be a piano in New York City. The Fosun Plaza at 28 Liberty on June 3rd was a hub of vibrant color and music in honor of the unveiling of the fifty Sing for Hope 2019 piano art pieces, and musicians and music-lovers alike attended the event to enjoy and create music.

Downtown spoke with twelve-year-old Joshua Turchin, one of the younger musicians who was sharing his music in the plaza, about his passion for music and musical theatre, and his bright future in the industry.

Image courtesy of the Turchin Family

Turchin is already a star at age twelve; he has performed in two Broadway National Tours, is the host and creator of the Early Night Show cabaret, has written the music, lyrics, and book for his own musical, which debuts in August. His energetic presence as a performer and musician make him stand out from the rest, whether his stage is in a theater or on the bench of a piano in a public plaza.

Downtown: How long have you been playing piano?

Joshua Turchin: I’ve been playing piano since I could first reach the keys, but I officially and professionally started taking lessons when I was four.

DT: Do you play any other instruments?

JT: I actually play eleven other instruments other than piano, all my instruments together are piano, guitar, electric guitar, drums, accordion, harmonica, cajon, ukulele, recorder, banjo and ocarina.

DT: So you mentioned you wrote a musical, what is it about?

JT: It’s about the business, it’s about a girl named Alexandria, a struggling actress…It was just accepted into a theatre festival called the Rave Theater Festival, it’s a brand new theater festival.

Rave Theater Festival

DT: Is it in New York?

JT: It is in New York, it’s from August 9th to the 23rd.

DT: So what brought you to this particular event?

JT: So, I first started working with Sing for Hope when earlier in January at Broadway Con, I stumbled on their piano cause I had a panel there with the band I created, Broadway Kids Jam, and I just started playing it and I introduced myself to Mel, and I’ve been working with them ever since! I sometimes play at Port Authority, and we were invited here, and I came here and I’m like oh my god pianos! It’s incredible.

Joshua Turchin’s personal website is https://www.joshuaturchin.com/, and information about Rave Theater Festival is available at http://ravetheaterfestival.com/. The Perfect Fit debuts on August 11th at 4 pm and runs on August 12th, 18th, 19th, and 23rd. Tickets are available at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35213/production/1012928.

Categories
Art Culture Music

Sing for Hope Unveils 500th Piano

By Michael Izquierdo

Whether you’re eager to play the piano or digital piano in front of a live audience or looking to admire originally-designed artwork, the Sing for Hope Pianos project returns to the streets of New York City for its eighth consecutive year.

From June 4th to the 23rd, Sing for Hope will display 50 artist-designed pianos in parks and other public spaces across the five boroughs for any passerby to walk up and play a tune. The piano designs are vibrant, striking expressions of the creativity found within the city, featuring designs like the New York City skyline, an underwater theme, and pride-colored stripes. The non-profit organization founded in 2006 by opera singers Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora celebrates as they unveil their 500th Sing for Hope Piano this year.

Sing for Hope was built upon the foundation of being a resource for New York artists to use their art to give back to the community, and they continue to abide by their roots. This year’s masterpieces were created by a wide range of artists, including the Broadway casts of Mean Girls, Dear Evan Hansen, and Jersey Boys; along with prominent visual artists around the world, including artist/designer Alpana “Tejaswini,” Florida-based educator Bridget Wendt, Staten Island-based family of artists Rob, Peggy and Megan Padovano, and many others.

  • Photos by Addison Franz

The Sing for Hope Pianos project is made possible in partnerships with New York City Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Education, the Office of the Mayor, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, with additional support from Fosun International. This year, the pianos will be distributed in high-traffic locations included Virginia Park and Van Cortlandt House Museum, Brooklyn Bridge Park: Pier 6, Coney Island Boardwalk, Tompkins Square Park, Central Park, Unisphere Flushing Meadows, Midland Beach, and many more.

Once the Sing for Hope Pianos project is over, the pianos will find permanent homes in NYC public schools starting this fall. This initiative will extend the outreach of educational programs to over 100,000 NYC students and community member annually.

Earlier today, Downtown Magazine had the opportunity to attend the official unveiling of the 2019 Sing for Hope Pianos event at Fosun Plaza on 28 Liberty in NYC.

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Living News

Sing for Hope Pianos In NYC This Summer

This summer, residents of all five boroughs will have their chance to tickle the ivories in public spaces and parks.

Sing for Hope, a non-profit that works to extend the arts and music to those who need it most, is bringing 60 Sing for Hope Pianos to the city of New York this summer. The pianos will be placed in public parks and other high-traffic public spaces across all five boroughs for anyone to play. For a complete list of piano locations, see this map.

This year’s pianos were designed by artists such as Kate McKinnon, Billy the Artist, Roberta Flack, among others, and Broadway casts of shows including “Beautiful,” “School of Rock,” “Waitress,” “Cats,” “Chicago” and “Aladdin.” The piano installation will be on display until June 25, at which time 50 of the pianos will take up new and permanent residences at New York City Schools.

Today the pianos were unveiled at 28 Liberty Plaza, where 10 of the pianos will remain during the three-week installment. Passersby who witnessed the unveiling were treated to pop-up performances from Sing for Hope artists throughout the day. Others tried out the keys for themselves, many playing from memory and some playing the provided sheet music that was attached to each piano with a chord. Selections included everything from Beethoven’s “Für Elise” and Joplin’s “The Entertainer.”

Fosun Group donated a floor of 28 Liberty, the recognizable building in Downtown Manhattan, as a creative space for the artists who designed the pianos.

“It is an honor to support Sing for Hope for a second year, as it fulfills its mission to provide arts resources and programming to underserved neighborhoods in New York City,” said Bo Wei, the chief executive representative of the Fosun Group in the U.S., in a press release. “We are thrilled to be able to provide the space that enables these pianos to come to life and our collaboration with Sing for Hope ensures that 28 Liberty will continue to play a vital role in the culture of Lower Manhattan.”

Performances will be popping up at piano sites over the next few weeks. Last year, Sing for Hope Pianos were delivered to schools, benefitting an estimated 15,000 students and with each arrival including a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sing for Hope co-founders Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora said the pianos are “playable masterpieces.”

“We started Sing for Hope with core belief that the arts should be accessible to all,” they said. “Now, more than ever, we believe that the arts can truly transform and uplift not only individuals but entire communities.”

Photos courtesy of Sing for Hope

Categories
Culture Events Music

Sing For Hope now live at 28 Liberty Plaza through Jun. 19

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On Monday, Jun. 6, the Sing For Hope debuted 50 pianos at 28 Liberty Plaza. The Sing For Hope Pianos program has placed 286 public instruments throughout NYC, 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 pianos 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 then place all of the Sing For Hope Pianos in permanent homes in New York City public schools, 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.
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During Monday’s unveiling, singer and actress Lea Salonga, along with student musicians from Sing For Hope’s programs, took the stage with a wonderful musical performance.

One of the completed Sing For Hope Pianos will remain on the 28 Liberty Plaza for public use from Jun. 9 to Jun. 19, while the other pianos will be available for use in other public spaces throughout the five boroughs.

Follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @SingForHope.