Sing for Hope Pianos are Back on the Streets of NYC this Summer - June 5-25

NEW YORK, May 4, 2017

The 2017 Sing for Hope Pianos have been designed by artists including Kate McKinnon, Roberta Flack, Billy the Artist, the Broadway casts of Aladdin, Beautiful, Cats, Chicago, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, Waitress, and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 — and many more. This summer will mark the sixth anniversary of the Sing for Hope Pianos with the placement of the 400th artist-designed piano to date, making NYC host to more street pianos than any other city in the world.

A special public unveiling of all pianos will take place on June 5th at 28 Liberty Plaza with special pop-up performances from Sing for Hope artists throughout the day-long event.

Fosun Group has donated a full 34,000-square-foot floor in 28 Liberty, a landmarked, iconic office tower in Lower Manhattan, to serve as a communal studio for the artists designing the pianos. To commemorate Sing for Hope's 10^th anniversary and as a special thank you to Fosun Group, ten pianos will remain at 28 Liberty Plaza during the 3-week installation, while the other pianos will be available in other public spaces throughout the five boroughs.

"We started Sing for Hope with the core belief that the arts should be accessible to all. Now, more than ever, we believe that the arts can truly transform and uplift not only individuals but entire communities," said Sing for Hope Co-Founders Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora. "We can't wait to not only bring these playable masterpieces to all five boroughs for three weeks this June, but to also bring our mission full circle by delivering each piano to a New York City public school, giving the next generation of artists the opportunity to bloom."

"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, chief executive representative of Fosun Group in the U.S. and Vice President of Fosun Property Holdings. "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."

After the public installation concludes on June 25, 50 of the 2017 Sing for Hope Pianos will be placed in permanent homes in New York City Schools. This partnership with the New York City Department of Education benefits an estimated 15,000 school children. In the fall of 2016, 50 of the 2016 Sing for Hope Pianos were placed in schools throughout the five boroughs. Each piano is delivered to its school with great fanfare, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebratory concerts from Sing for Hope Artist Partners and students within the schools. Schools interested in applying to receive a Sing for Hope Piano may do so by June 1, 2017 at https://SingforHope.formstack.com/forms/rfp_2017.