Piano Cleveland to host free outdoor concerts

As part of its lead-up to the 50th anniversary of the Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC), host organization Piano Cleveland is partnering with the Concert Truck to showcase CIPC contestants’ skills during eight free public concerts across town from July 21 through 27.

The Concert Truck is a 16-foot box truck that converts into a fully functioning mobile concert hall with lights, a sound system, and a piano. Contestants from all over the world will play out of the truck in public spaces for all to enjoy their music.

“Anyone who wants to see the transformative power of piano really needs to see the Concert Truck,” said Marissa Moore, Executive Director of Piano Cleveland. “The truck rolls up to a park or a farmer’s market and the atmosphere changes. Some people show up to see the concert and others are pleasantly surprised. It’s amazing what happens when you bring the piano out of the concert hall and put it into unexpected places."

Piano Cleveland’s president and 2007 CIPC medalist Yaron Kohlberg says public performances are also a valuable experience for the contestants.

“With this year’s competition, we want to prepare our contestants for life as a performer,” he said. “A large part of being a performer is knowing how to play to the audience. The Concert Truck is a lot of fun, but it’s also an important lesson for these artists.”

The Concert Truck is co-directed by award-winning pianists Nick Luby and Susan Zhang with the mission of “redefining the concert experience and making live music accessible to everyone.”

Free public Concert Truck performances include:

• Sunday, July 21 at 3:00 PM, Playhouse Square
• Monday, July 22 at 5:00 PM, Gateway Plaza, Progressive Field
• Tuesday, July 23 at 12:00 PM, Edgewater Beach
• Tuesday, July 23 at 6:00 PM, AsiaTown
• Wednesday, July 24 at 5:30 PM, Wade Oval
• Friday, July 26 at 12:00 PM, Cleveland City Hall
• Saturday, July 27 at 10:00 AM, North Union Farmers Market
• Saturday, July 27 at 3:00 PM, Pivot Center

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