New York City 2015

Sing for Hope was proud to announce the Sing for Hope Pianos and their return to New York City for the fourth time during the summer of 2015. In partnership with the City of New York and NYC Parks, this year's program featured fifty artist-designed pianos placed throughout the five boroughs from June 5th - 21st, 2015 for all to enjoy.

The Sing for Hope Pianos is a public art installation that brings brightly colored pianos to the parks and public spaces of NYC’s five boroughs for anyone and everyone to play. For two weeks, the Sing for Hope Pianos—each a unique art piece created by a different artist or designer— serve as gathering places in their communities, hosting impromptu concerts by professionals and amateurs alike in an open festival of “art for all” in New York City. 

After the two-week public exhibition, Sing for Hope donates the instruments to the under-resourced schools, hospitals, and community centers that the organization serves year-round, enriching lives for years to come. 

In 2015, The Sing for Hope Pianos were experienced by an estimated 2 million New Yorkers and visitors to the city.

In the words of Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora, Sing for Hope’s Co-Founders, “From the South Bronx and the Rockaways to Staten Island and Times Square, the Sing for Hope Pianos have become synonymous with summertime in New York City. It is exciting to witness the spontaneous moments of community that occur around these beautiful, interactive works of art."

Artists who have previously donated their time and talent to the Sing for Hope Pianos include fashion designers John Varvatos, Isaac Mizrahi, Kate Spade, and Diane Von Furstenberg; visual artists Julian Schnabel and Scott Taylor; and media mogul Arianna Huffington.

The 2015 Sing for Hope Pianos were being presented against the backdrop of a city more in need than ever of arts outreach programming. One in five NYC middle and high schools have no arts teacher, and lack of arts instruction disproportionately impacts low-income neighborhoods: over 42 percent of these resource-starved schools are concentrated in the South Bronx and central Brooklyn. The need for more arts programming is equally great in the city’s healthcare facilities, as leading medical educator Dr. David Muller has stated. The Sing for Hope Pianos—and the volunteer artists who make them possible—reach these under-resourced areas year round.

Funding for the Sing for Hope Pianos is provided in part by Sing for Hope’s Founders’ Circle, including The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy Arnhold, The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation, and Ann Ziff. Additional funding for the 2015 project is provided by Sing for Hope’s first-ever Kickstarter campaign and The Lulu & Leo Fund.