DUELING PIANOS PERFORMANCE TO COINCIDE WITH WORLD PIANO DAY ON THURSDAY, MARCH 28 AT NOON

MARCH 11, 2024 (NEW YORK, NY) — Two new Sing for Hope Pianos make their public debut Monday, March 25 at Westfield World Trade Center. Sing for Hope Artist in Residence Patrick Freeman has created a pair of Sing for Hope Pianos with a matching inverted color palette and swirling imagery that unifies the two instruments. The instruments were created to celebrate World Piano Day on March 28, an annual worldwide celebration of the piano coinciding with the 88th day of the year, a nod to the 88 keys on a standard piano. 

While one of the new Sing for Hope Pianos is a traditional full-sized upright, the second is a miniature piano with only 73 keys. Both Sing for Hope Pianos are available for everyone and anyone to play, listen to, interact with, and enjoy from March 25th - 29th from 9AM to 6PM.  

To mark the occasion of World Piano Day, Sing for Hope Music Teacher & Collaborative Pianist Chris Piro and Sing for Hope Artist Partner Riko Higuma will perform a dueling piano recital on Thursday, March 28, from 12 to 1 PM. 

“The Oculus Sing for Hope Piano has provided endless delight, having been played by tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe,” said Will Lewis, Director of Marketing Westfield World Trade Center. “We’re thrilled to celebrate its enduring popularity and honor World Piano Day by presenting, for the first time ever, two instruments for impromptu and professional dueling piano performances, which promise to be mesmerizing.”

“It’s been such an honor to share free public art with our community and our great city,” recounts the artist, Patrick Freeman. “My hope is that these instruments brighten the day of everyone who encounters them, whether they’re an amateur musician, a pro, or just a traveler.”

“The Oculus continues to be one of the most popular destinations in New York City to play a Sing for Hope Piano,” said Bill Hoagland, Director of the Sing for Hope Pianos. “I’m so grateful to our friends at Westfield World Trade Center for allowing us to bring music, art, and joy to this New York City landmark.”

From the Bronx to Beirut, the Sing for Hope Pianos program is a global arts initiative that creates artist-designed pianos, places them in public spaces for anyone and everyone to enjoy, and transports and activates them in permanent homes in schools, hospitals, transit hubs, refugee camps, and community-based organizations. Sing for Hope has provided more pianos for under-resourced public schools than any other organization in the world.