PIANOS FOR PEACE FESTIVAL COMES TO CHARLOTTE
Colorful pianos to celebrate International Day of Peace before being donated to public schools and nursing homesFor the first time in Charlotte, Pianos for Peace, in partnership with Queens University of Charlotte and Qatar-USA Year of Culture, will launch its annual outdoor festival and community arts program with a public unveiling of painted pianos on the International Day of Peace Tuesday, Sept. 21. Five colorful pianos, three in the city and two on the Queens campus, will be available for anyone to play and enjoy through Oct. 4.
The pianos will be on display Uptown at the Mint Museum and the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and at Camp North End near the entrance of the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit. Two pianos will be on the Queens University campus; one at the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement and another in the Trexler Courtyard. A free Pianos for Peace App, available for iPhone and Android, will guide visitors to all locations.
“These beautifully painted pianos are an important way to make the arts accessible to all,” said composer and pianist Malek Jandali, the founder and CEO of Pianos for Peace who is also composer-in-residence at Queens. “It also serves as a way to build bridges of peace, unity, and understanding between communities, countries, and cultures at a time it seems we never needed it more. We hope to impact an estimated one hundred thousand Charlotteans and visitors this year.”
After the outdoor festival, all of the pianos will be donated to Charlotte public schools and nursing homes where Queens University students, local artists, and volunteers are invited to engage with the recipients in musical programs.