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Piano in Bryant Park Returns

May 23, 2018

As Terry Waldo settled in at the keyboard this past Monday, Piano in Bryant Park kicked off its 15th season of lunchtime performances on the Upper Terrace. Presenting an all-star line-up of pianists performing Ragtime, Dixieland Stride, Jazz, and Tin Pan Alley from 12:30 pm–2:30pm, Piano is one of the park’s most beloved series. Summer just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Opening with Mr. Waldo, a protégé of Eubie Blake, has become a great tradition at Piano, and he’ll be followed by a slate of returning crowd favorites including Roy Eaton, who played at Carnegie Hall in 1937, Deanna Witkowski, winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Daryl Sherman, named Best Jazz Vocalist by Hot House Magazine in 2015, Kenny Barron-trained Columbia University instructor Victor Lin, and Todd Robbins, performing his signature ragtime and classic Tin Pan Alley. Legendary pianist, musical director and composer Frank Owens will also return for his annual week at the keyboard beginning August 27.

Tap-A-Long, at which audience members are encouraged to tap to the music, is returning on May 24 as Ayako Shirasaki, (a virtuoso performer with a “tender touch”), marks National Tap Dance Week with the third Tap-A-Long. Accompanying her, and showing the audience how it’s done, will be the inimitable Toes Tiranoff, with appearances by Megan Haungs. Marietta Clark, Rod Ferrone, Hank Smith and Yuka Kameda. Mr. Tiranoff will also host a special Tap-A-Long performance on Tuesday, September 11th.

Sing-A-Long Thursdays are also returning during the run of Broadway in Bryant Park (July 12 – August 16) when the starting time for Piano moves to 2pm.  We have also added four more Sing-A-Longs to the calendar, happening every Thursday in September from 4pm–6pm.

Piano in Bryant Park, produced in partnership with Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, Sam Ash Music, Jazz Center of New York, the Council for Living Music, and the Music Performance Trust Fund, continues each weekday through October 5. For the full schedule visit our website, where you can also find video clips from many of our participating pianists.