Pittsburgh pianists to pester PNC Park in advance of Piano Day
London, Berlin, Paris and other cities around the world celebrate Piano Day — yes, that’s a thing — on or around March 29 every year. That’s the 88th day of the year; the piano has 88 keys. You get the idea.
But not Pittsburgh. Things are done a little differently around here. Festivities for Pittsburgh’s Piano Day begin Saturday, when the event organizers will, as they have each year since 2016, load a Steinway grand piano into a flatbed truck and drive around the city with performers playing to drum up awareness for the main event. On Sunday, the official Piano Day 2019 kicks off in earnest at noon, with more than 100 local pianists at four Downtown locations delivering a day of free outdoor music.
“We’re going to go troll the Pirates a bit, drive the truck in circles around the stadium and jam awhile,” said Peter Stumpf, a local technician who cares for the instruments in Heinz Hall and Carnegie Mellon University.
Mr. Stumpf founded Piano Day Pittsburgh in August 2016, settling on the eighth day of the eighth month instead of March 29 because he wanted the performances to be outdoors. It has since been moved for scheduling reasons.
“We wanted to get a little crazy and bring the pianos to the public and have some fun, but that isn’t possible in March in Pittsburgh,” Mr. Stumpf said.
Modern Piano, Fort Pitt Piano and the Piano Technicians Guild are providing pianos at Heinz Hall, River Vue Patio and PPG Place, with moving assistance from Randy Mangus Piano Services. The programs at Heinz Hall are largely classical music, River Vue Patio includes jazz and a range of genres, and PPG Place will feature female performers and composers. There will also be a Steinway grand piano in Market Square, Downtown, for the public to play. Piano Day runs from noon till about 8 p. m.
On Saturday, the roving piano truck will make its way through Mt. Lebanon and the Hill District before making berth at the Crawford Grill around 1 p. m. for a celebration concert that includes Roger Humphries, Jessica Lee and local jazz performers plus free food and beverages.
Last year, an estimated 2,000- plus people attended the concerts around the city, but Mr. Stumpf said he and his volunteer team are ready to keep growing.
“Next year who knows? Maybe we’ll put a piano on a boat and cruise on the river,” he said.
For a complete list of performers and event details, visit pianodaypgh. com.
Jeremy Reynolds: jreynolds@ post- gazette. com or 412- 263- 1634; twitter: @ Reynolds_ PG. Mr. Reynolds’ work is supported by a grant from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Getty Foundation and Rubin Institute.