Flower Piano: 12 Pianos Hidden in Golden Gate Park
Sunset Piano, in partnership with San Francisco Botanical Garden, will once again bring over a dozen pianos to the spectacular 55 acre Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park for the fourth incarnation of our interactive music festival, Flower Piano.
Flower Piano is free to SF residents with ID, and only $9 (the regular Garden entry fee) for anyone else.
For twelve days only, July 11-22, 2019, pianos are placed in beautiful garden settings for anyone to play, with performances by brilliant local musicians scheduled on weekends.
Flower Piano 2019
July 11-22, 2019 | Daytime
Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park, 1199 9th Avenue, SF
Free for SF Residents (with proof of residency; otherwise it’s $9 for regular entry.)Please note that Night Garden (July 18-20) and Sunset Piano are paid, ticketed event.
The annual twelve-day-long Flower Piano is one of the Bay Area’s most highly anticipated musical events of the summer and celebrates its fifth year at the Garden with a special anniversary edition.
Featuring new opportunities for the public to play, more performances by professional musicians, special events for families including the new evening-time Flower Piano at Sunset, a community sing-along, free piano lessons, and three evenings of Flower Piano at Night, a special after dark event with food trucks and outdoor bars.
Flower Piano 2019 Full Schedule of Performances & Events
Piano Location Codes
- GM | Great Meadow
- HH | Heidelberg Hill
- GF | Garden of Fragrance
- RH | Rhododendron Garden
- AP | Ancient Plant Garden
- NZ | New Zealand
- SA | South Africa
- CN | California Native Garden
- RG | Redwood Grove
- CL | Conifer Lawn
- MV | Moon Viewing Garden
- ZG | Zellerbach Garden
Thursday, July 11 – Opening Day
Opening Day, 9 am to 6 pm: Pianos open to all. No scheduled performances or events
Friday, July 12, 6 pm – Flower Piano at Sunset
A new, family-friendly addition to the Flower Piano special event lineup. Tickets are $40 for adults. Special ticket required. Children 12 and under are free.
Saturday, July 13 – Great Meadow
9 am – 10 am: Great Meadow – Yoga with Kaiser Permanente
10 am – 11:30 am: Main Gate – Rabbit Hole Theater Scavenger Hunt
Rabbit Hole Theater is back with another whimsical scavenger hunt through the Garden (10-11am) ending in song and movement for your little fairy, pirate, or wizard (11-11:30am). Scavenger hunt will launch from the Main Gate with a clue card to help young children find hidden characters in nearby gardens.
10 am-2 pm: Main Gate – Plant Sale feat. Salvias, Shrubs, & Fuchsias
Noon – 2 pm: Piano Location Codes | Twelve Piano Extravaganza
- GM | Paulo Sultanum & Guests: Brazilian Groove
- HH | Jordan Feinstein: Songs and Improvisations
- GF | Benjamin Gribble / Esther Aeschbach: 4 hands / 2 pianos: New Music by Benjamin Gribble
- RH | Samantha Cho w. Florin Parvulescu: Sonata Feast of Beethoven, Debussy & Grieg
Sandra Simich: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy- AP | Elektra Schmidt, Lewis Patzner & Friends: Chamber Music Masterpieces
- NZ | Martha Cooper and Friends: Brahms, Bartok, & Very Weill Cabaret Opera
- SA | Mark Techler: Bebop, Beatles, Chick, Duke, Gershwin, Rag, Rodgers
- CN | Steve Abrams Trio: Jazz, Latin Jazz, Salsa, & Hard Bop
- RG | Dawn Oberg: Songs About Plant Life and Other Stuff
Tom Jonesing: Pop Demolition and Remodeling- CL | Daniel Sullivan: Dance-along Ballet Extravaganza
- MV | Eric Chase: Music from Beloved Composers and Improvisations
- ZG | Monty Oxymoron: Classical Jazz Improv With a Touch of Psychedelia
1 pm – 4 pm: Children’s Garden | Bean Sprouts Family Days Presented by Kaiser Permanente
Popular family garden program, Bean Sprouts Family Days, will take on a musical twist as children and their caregivers explore various hands-on activities from visiting our composting worms to creating garden art.
2 pm – 4 pm: Ancient Plant Garden and New Zealand Garden – Oakland School for the Arts
For the third year, Oakland School for the Arts incredible youth return to take the stage at Flower Piano. Support young, emerging musicians as most of them experience playing in their first outdoor venue.
2 pm – 5 pm: Fountain Plaza – Awesome Orchestra Collective – David Möschler, Conductor
A full symphony orchestra that will work through and perform two major piano concertos. Awesöme Orchestra strives to make orchestra adventures accessible to everyone.
2 pm: Frédéric Chopin – Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22 (1834), featuring Allison Lovejoy, Piano
3 pm: Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 (1909) featuring Serene, Piano
5 pm – 6pm: Garden of Fragrance – Moving Meditation with Charity Kahn
Transition from Flower Piano bliss to real life with a free moving meditation session by Charity Kahn.
Sunday, July 14
9 am – 10 am: Great Meadow – Yoga with Kaiser Permanente
10:15 am – 11:15 am: Garden of Fragrance – Moving Meditation with Charity Kahn
Transition from Flower Piano bliss to real life with a free moving meditation session by Charity Kahn.
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Library – Story Time and Family Garden Walk
Story Time and Family Walks are extra special during Flower Piano as walks end with a song at a nearby piano. Best for children ages 4-8 years old.
11 am – 6 pm: Zellerbach Garden
Featured Artists
- 11 am – 12:30 pm: Sarah Cahill: Music by Hélène De Montgeroult, Florence Price, and Vítězslava Kaprálová
- 12:30 pm – 2 pm: Kash Killion & Killion’s Trillions: Exotic world instruments presentation and World Music
- 2 pm – 3 pm: Craig and Macgregor Band: Jazz to Satie plus unique originals
- 3 pm – 4 pm: Diva Marisa Winter and Electra Schmidt: Soprano operatic arias with a contextual storytelling narrative
- 4 pm – 5 pm: Kevin Gerzevitz Trio: Monkish Bebop and Soul Jazz
- 5 pm – 6 pm: Mariah Parker: Indo Latin Jazz
11 am – 4 pm, Great Meadow
Featured Artists
- 11 am – 12 pm: Sandra Simich : Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy
- Noon – 1 pm: Caroluna & Paul Smith: Sehnsucht – Arias and art songs elucidating ineffable desire
- 1 pm – 2 pm: Kat Downs: Classically Inspired Pop Originals
- 2 pm – 3 pm: Antony Ty (MC Sightsee): Gospel, Beat and Other Cuts of Meat
- 3pm – 4 pm: Francisco Rosales Ensemble: Musica Tradicional Cubana
1 pm – 5 pm, Garden of Fragrance – Duo Piano Program
- 1 pm: Benjamin Gribble & Esther Aeschbach: 4 Hands / 2 Pianos: new music by Benjamin Gribble
- 2 pm: Allison Lovejoy With Elektra Schmidt & Members of Awesome Orchestra, Carnival of the Animals, With Marionettes by Niki Ulelha, Puppeteer. Plus, Improvisations With Marc Capelle
- 3 pm: Ann Wu & Yu-chi Tai: Mid-summer Days Fantasy
- 4 pm: Emergency Room: Indie, Edm & Pop Covers
Monday, July 15 – Friday, July 19
Noon – 1 pm: Ancient Plant Garden and Garden of Fragrance – Lunch Time Concerts Presented by San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Pull up a bench or a patch of grass and enjoy special lunch time concerts by Conservatory of Music students and alumni.
July 15
- Noon – 1 pm: Ancient Plant Garden | Ke Coco Chen
- Noon – 12:30 pm: Garden of Fragrance | Zak Mustille
July 16
- Noon – 1 pm: Garden Fragrance | Seulki Hong
July 17
- Noon -1 pm: Ancient Plant Garden | Yunyi Ji
- Noon -1 pm: Garden of Fragrance | Coco Xu Connor with Starla and Valery Breshears
July 18
- Noon -1 pm: Garden of Fragrance | Tin Yi Chelsea Wong and Lukáš Janata
July 19
- Noon -1 pm: Ancient Plant Garden | Tin Yi Chelsea Wong
- Noon -1 pm: Garden of Fragrance | Pablo Molano
Saturday, July 20
9 am – 10 am: Great Meadow | Yoga with Kaiser Permanente
10 am – 11:30 am: Main Gate | Rabbit Hole Theater Scavenger Hunt
Rabbit Hole Theater is back with another whimsical scavenger hunt through the Garden (10-11am) ending in song and movement for your little fairy, pirate, or wizard (11-11:30am). Scavenger hunt will launch from the Main Gate with a clue card to help young children find hidden characters in nearby gardens.
Noon – 2 pm: Piano Location Codes | Twelve Piano Extravaganza
- GM | Joshua Raoul Brody : Originals, Aboriginals, Standards, Substandards, and Beatles Songs.
- HH | Eric Chase : Classical Music From Beloved Composers and Improvisations
- GF | Kristina Foltz : From Bach to Brubeck: a Musical Journey
- Penelope Keep : a Mix of Classical and Jazz
- RH | Thea Becker : Mozart, Schubert, Chopin : Favorites Not Often Performed
- AP | Alon Nechushtan : Stride, Stroll, & Roll (a Tribute)
- NZ | Eric Shifrin : Confessions of a San Francisco Saloon Pianist
- SA | Caroline Dahl : Boogie Woogie and American Roots Piano
- CN | Rob & Petra Sullivan, Piano & Mandolin : Ragtime Era Classics, Waltzes, Tangos, Songs
- RG | Kitten on the Keys : Flapper, Rock, Blues, Wave, Cabaret, Phalanges Fun.
- CL | Dizzy Victrola & Co. : Tickling Tunes From the Grateful Dead & Queen
- MV | Kimberly Hou : Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and More
- ZG | Colin Farish : Classical and Jazz, Brazilian, Blues and Beatles
1 pm – 4 pm: Children’s Garden | Bean Sprouts Family Days Presented by Kaiser Permanente
Popular family garden program, Bean Sprouts Family Days, will take on a musical twist as children and their caregivers explore various hands-on activities from visiting our composting worms to creating garden art.
2 pm – 2:20 pm: Garden of Fragrance | Na Lei Hulu I ka Wekiu
3 pm – 3:20 pm: Great Meadow
100 hula dancers performing traditional and contemporary hula over two performances and locations
2 pm – 5:30 pm: Conifer Lawn | Club Flor
2 pm – 2:30 pm: Beat Corner: Mauro & Dean, Musical Guests, Avant Garden Poetry
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Eric Chase: Classical Music Inspired by Nature
3 pm – 3:30 pm: Beat Corner: Mauro & Dean, Musical Guests, Avant Garden Poetry
3:30 pm – 4 pm: Steve Holtzman: Slow Dancing With Trees, a Mindfulness Workshop
4 pm – 4:30 pm: Beat Corner: Mauro & Dean, Musical Guests, Avant Garden Poetry
4:30 pm – 5 pm: Mr Brandy: Dark Rock Tales
3 pm – 5 pm: Zellerbach Garden | Members of San Francisco Symphony
8 pm – 11 pm: Flower Piano at Night
A special after dark event with food trucks and outdoor bars
Special ticket required.
- RG | Jill Tracy: a Sonic Séance of Elegant Dark Beauty
- AP | Joe Magdalena: Standards, Pop, Sinatra, Happy Stuff
- CN | Daniel Sullivan: Night Fever: a Bacharach Bacchanal
- GF | Paulo Sultanum & Casulo: a Brazilian Bossafolk Experience
- NZ | La Mantia: Afro Caribbean Latin Argentinian Jazz Originals
- CL | Mr Lucky and the Cocktail Party Featuring Joshua Raoul Brody: Ellington to Bacharach & Beyond.
Sunday, July 21
9 am – 10 am: Great Meadow | Yoga with Kaiser Permanente
10:30 am – 11:30 am: Library | Story Time and Family Garden Walk
Story Time and Family Walks are extra special during Flower Piano as walks end with a song at a nearby piano! Best for children ages 4-8 years old.
11 am – noon: Garden of Fragrance | SFJAZZ High School All-Stars
The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars program is a pre-professional training program for current Bay Area high school age jazz musicians. Comprised of two ensembles – the Big Band and the Combo – the All-Stars rehearse and perform throughout the school year at the SFJAZZ Center, receive mentorship and clinics with leading jazz professionals, record a professional studio album, and appear at prestigious music festivals and competitions.
Piano – Luis Manuel Peralta
Bass – Isaac Coyle
Drums – Henry Plumb
11 am – 6 pm: Zellerbach Garden | Featured Artists
11 am – noon: Lisa Spector: Left Hand Plus: Five to Ten Fingers!
Noon – 1 pm: Allison Lovejoy and Rebecca Kleinmann: Chopin, Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc
1 pm – 2pm: Byerself Trio: Synomatic Soul Jazz; Cellist Lead Trio
2 pm – 3 pm: Van-anh Nguyen: Bach Meets Bobby Mcferrin, Beethoven Meets Britney & More!
3 pm – 4 pm: Tammy Hall: Tribute to Seven Goddesses
4 pm – 5 pm: Serene: Post-romantic Synesthesia With Serene
5 pm – 6 pm: Rob Reich Swings Left: Bold, Quirky Nod to Swing Era Jazz
11 am – 4 pm: Great Meadow | Featured Artists
11 am – noon: Kristina Foltz: From Bach to Brubeck: a Musical Journey
Noon – 1 pm: Stanford University Ragtime Ensemble: Scott Joplin Rags With Paul Phillips
1 pm – 2 pm: Freddi Price & Robin Coomer: Singing From the Songbook of Pain & Dissolution
2 pm – 3 pm: La Mantia: Afro Caribbean Latin Argentinian Jazz Originals
3 pm – 4 pm: Francisco Rosales Ensemble: Musica Tradicional Cubana
Monday, July 22
9 am – 6 pm: Closing Day
