Piano Day brings free concerts to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Downbeat for the third annual Piano Day Pittsburgh is Sunday at noon and kicks off the most ambitious version of the event to date.
Local piano dealers Fort Pitt Piano and Modern Piano have donated the use of four Steinway and Yamaha concert-grade pianos that will be placed in Heinz Hall, Katz Plaza, Market Square and PPGPlaza, all Downtown.
More than 100 musicians will perform either solo or in ensembles involving other instruments from noon to 8 p.m at Heinz, Katz and Market Square. The piano at PPG Plaza will be open to any members of the public who are feeling particularly virtuosic this weekend.
“Nothing is ticketed, and everything is totally free,” said Peter Stumpf, a Pittsburgh piano technician and the founder of Piano Day Pittsburgh. “We’ve had more demand the last couple of years than we’ve been able to accommodate, and we’re thrilled that this event is gaining traction and getting sucha positive response.”
Heinz Hall will feature Pittsburgh amateur and professional ivory ticklers including Tina Faigen, James Iman, Jack Kurutz, Nanette Kaplan Solomon and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra pianist Rodrigo Ojeda.
“It’s a way to celebrate this wonderful instrument, the musicians, the composers, the technicians,” Mr. Ojeda said. “It’s a platform to share the love of piano and music between professionals and amateursand anyone interested.”
Katz Plaza features a lineup of local jazz artists, and Market Square players range from experimental to singer/songwriter to the piano-driven Pittsburgh rock band Wreck Loose.
Piano Day celebrations are common in cities around the globe — including Phoenix, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., in the U.S. The majority take place on the 88th day of the year (a piano has 88 keys), which this year was March 29. Mr. Stumpf wanted the event to be outdoors, so he waited until August. To raise awareness for Sunday, he loaded a grand piano in a flatbed and drove aroundthe city with performers on Aug. 8 (the eighth day of the eighth month) for the secondyear in a row.
For a full schedule for Piano Day Pittsburgh 2018, go to pianodaypgh.com.