Piano Music Will Fill Forest Hills Park As Project Puts Instruments In Public Places

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — The music of pianists will fill a Queens park through June as part of a city-wide project that puts musical instruments in public places.

A custom-designed piano will sit in Forest Hills' Yellowstone Park from June 5 until June 25, inviting passers-by to sit down and show off their skills. It's provided by community service organization Sing For Hope.

For the sixth year in a row, the group will place the instruments around the city. After the installation, they'll be donated to to the city's public schools.

Sing For Hope says its piano exhibition is the largest recurring public art project in the city and attracts more than two million visitors a year. It plans to roll out 60 pianos this year.

The show will kick off with a performance of Bach's Prelude in C by 60 pianists led by Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste. The event will be held on June 5 at 12 p.m. at 28 Liberty Plaza.

Currently, there are six free performances scheduled. Anyone can schedule a free performance of their own by following this link.

"Sing for Hope believes that the arts have unmatched power to uplift, unite and transform lives," reads the organization's website. "And we believe that all people deserve access to them."

The map below shows where each of the 60 pianos will be placed.

Lead image courtesy of Sing For Hope