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Final Day: 2020 “Flower Piano” | Golden Gate Park

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Monday, July 20, 2020 - All Day | Cost: FREE*
*From 2019: Free for San Francisco Residents with proof of ID. $9 for regular entry.

San Francisco Botanical Garden | 1199 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122

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Flower Piano 2023: 12 Hidden Pianos in Golden Gate Park (Sept. 8-12)

Flower Piano is back! Find the 12 hidden pianos in SF’s Botanical Garden!

Flower Piano returns to the SF Botanical Garden, September 8-12, 2023 with one of the most unique, creative, and innovative events in the Bay Area. The San Francisco Botanical Garden is once again is transformed into the city’s own alfresco concert hall where everyone is invited to play and listen.

Flower Piano is a musical event and attraction that provides open access to music and pianos within the natural, outdoor environment of San Francisco Botanical Garden.

Participants are invited to explore the Garden’s global living plant collections as they seek out the 12 pianos spread out across the 55-acre living museum. At each of the pianos, there will be scheduled professional performances, open play time for participants, and community partner performances – reflecting a range of genres, ages, and cultures

Flower Piano 2023
September 8-12, 2023 |  10am to 6pm
San Francisco Botanical Garden
1199 9th Ave., Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Free for SF Residents with valid ID
For Non-Residents: $13 Adults ($15 Weekends), $7 Youth & Seniors (Ages 12-17 and 65+), $3 Children (Ages 5-11), Free for Toddlers (Ages 4 and under)
Advanced tickets recommended (even for SF Residents)

  • Flower Piano is free with general admission to the Botanical Garden
  • Free-$28 Gardens of Golden Gate Park passes
    Visit the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and San Francisco Botanical Garden with one, multi-garden ticket!
  • Flower Piano Lounge tickets are $40 general, $32 for Gardens of Golden Gate Park Members
  • All Access Flower Piano Lounge tickets are also available for $130 general, $110 for Members

Closing Day (Sept. 12) – Free for Everyone

Today, September 12, 2023 is the closing day of Flower Piano and the Botanical Garden’s monthly FREE DAY!

Scheduled performances today include SFJAZZ collective vocalist Martin Luther McCoy delivering his “rebel soul music”, Sunset Piano co-founder Mauro ffortissimo performing interpretations of Bach, Brahms, Schubert, Piazzolla and Villa Lobos, as well as computer scientist, composer, artist, and author Jaron Lanier performing a set with Colin Farish they are describing as “Entangled Synchronicity While Surfing in a Global Musical Flux”.

Please reserve a Free Day ticket online and donate to support Flower Piano if you can.


Advanced tickets are recommended for all Garden visitors including members as well as residents. There will be expedited entry for members and advanced ticket holders on weekends and holidays. Onsite ticket purchases are also available.

All visitors receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) are offered free general admission. Free admission for up to four people may be redeemed by presenting a valid EBT card upon entry. Full-priced admission to special exhibitions, events, and programs still applies. More info

Flower Piano Events Schedule 2023

Flower Piano Opening Night Special Event
Thursday, September 7, 2023 | 6pm – 8pm

Flower Piano Lounge, Celebration Garden
Pablo Estigarribia
Latin Grammy winner tango pianist, arranger, and composer
With Sumi Lee Quartet, opening
Buy $40 Special Opening Night Ticket

Friday, September 8

  • 10am – 12pm, Garden of Fragrance | Noe’s Garden
    Interactive music to engage babies, young children, and grown-ups alike.
  • 11am – 1pm, Zellerbach | Ensemble SF
    Classical piano quartet featuring Mozart and Johannes Brahms.

Lunchtime Concert

  • 12pm -1pm, Great Meadow | Tom Jonesing
    Rock and Pop Renovations, Remodeling, and Demolition
  • 1pm – 2pm, Great Meadow | David Möschler Trio
    Tribute to the Vince Guaraldi Trio
  • 2pm – 5pm, Conifer Lawn | Beat Corner
    Avante Garden Music and Poetry
    Bay Area Poets hosted by Agneta Falk
    Music by Mauro, Dean, Antony, and others.
  • 2pm – 3pm, Garden of Fragrance | Paul Caccamo
    The Broken Branches of Gonzo’s Starry Dream
  • 3pm – 4pm, Garden of Fragrance | Kymry Esainko
    Melancholy Moods to Soothe the Savage Skeptic
  • 3pm – 4pm, Great Meadow | SFJazz High School All Stars
    Bay Area high school age musicians play popular jazz pieces
  • 4pm – 5pm, Redwood Grove | Classical Revolution Trio
    Classical Revolution Presents Beethoven and Piazzolla
  • 4pm – 5:30pm, Great Meadow | Flower Piano Kick Off Sing-ALong with Community Music Center featuring Rita Lackey: R&B, soul, and Motown favorites
  • 5pm – 6pm, Redwood Grove | Jill Tracy
    Mystical, Elegant, Dark, Cinematic, Haunting Sonic Spells
  • 5pm – 6pm, Garden of Fragrance | Sixth Station Trio
    Studio Ghibli tribute featuring works by composers, Joe Hisaishi, Yuji Nomi, and Satoshi Takebe
  • 4pm – 8pm, Flower Piano Lounge, Celebration Garden – Special Event Ticket Required
    Set Time: 6pm – 8pm | Alex Conde
    Jazz flamenco virtuoso pianist plays Albeniz, Monk, Powell and Originals

Saturday, September 9

  • 11am – 1:00 pm Library Terrace (starting point) | Rabbit Hole Theater Magical Scavenger Hunt
    Find magical characters during a family-friendly scavenger hunt through the Garden
  • 10am – 2pm, Flower Piano Lounge, Celebration Garden – Special Event Ticket Required
    Set Time: 12pm – 1:30pm | Van-Anh Nguyen
    Classical Reimagined and House Music Unplugged
  • 12pm – 1pm, All Pianos | Piano Extravaganza, Part One
    • Great Meadow |John Brothers Piano Company
      All Original Music from Oakland
    • Ancient Plant Garden | Joshua Raoul Brody
      Beatles Karaoke
    • Rhododendron Garden | Pedro Pastrana & Oskar Ly
      Ecstatic Interpretations from the American/Carribean Songbook
    • Garden of Fragrance | Duo Piano Program, 12pm – 3pm
    • 12pm – 1pm, Two Americans in Paris | Bolcom, Milhaud, and Gershwin
    • 1pm – 2pm, Cahill, Myers Piano Duo | Works by Grant Still, Tailleferre, Sierra, and Cage
    • New Zealand Garden | Joe Mag
      Entertainer from Martuni’s, SF : Pop, Show Tunes, and Sing-a-longs
    • South Africa Garden | Eric Shifrin
      Smooth and Bouncy to Rough and Funky
    • California Native Plant Garden | Anne Sajdera
      Soulful, Groove-based Jazz Standards and Originals
    • Redwood Grove | Caroluna with Ian Scarfe
      Sublime Opera Arias and Art Songs
    • Conifer Lawn | Hadley McCarroll
      Diversions & Divergences: Musical Landscapes from Chopin to Carter
    • Moon Viewing Garden | TonaLaura Jazz Duo
      Sparkling Mix of Jazz, Brazilian, & Original Music
    • Zellerbach Garden | Earth, Wind, and Flowers
      Chamber Music of Various Styles!
  • 2pm – 3pm, All Pianos | Piano Extravaganza, Part Two
    • Great Meadow | Alon Nechushtan Trio
      From East to the West in Jazz
    • Ancient Plant Garden | Tango Brumoso
      Traditional and Contemporary Tango Music
    • Rhododendron Garden | Craig Garfinkel
      Radiohead Sing-a-long
    • Ancient Plant Garden | Duo Piano Program, 2pm – 3pm
      Susie Fong & Abbygayle Baker | Works by Ravel, Chaminade, Falls, & Sakamoto
    • New Zealand Garden | Saki Minamimoto, vocal, Omree Gal Oz, piano
      Poetic Vocal Jazz with Effortless Delivery
    • South Africa Garden | Dawn Oberg
      Songs of Love, Plant Life, and Current Events
    • California Native Plant Garden | Sandra Simich
      Classical Piano
    • Redwood Grove | Tin Yi Chelsea Wong
      Chains, Alchemy, and Liberation (Crumb, Beethoven)
    • Conifer Lawn | Ian Scarfe
      Classical Masterpieces Inspired by the Natural World
    • Moon Viewing Garden | Eric Chase
      Beethoven’s Late Piano Sonatas: Poetry Without Words
    • Zellerbach Garden | Esther Aeschbach
      Scarlatti, Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy
  • 3pm – 4pm, Zellerbach Garden | San Francisco Opera Pianists
    SF Opera pianists perform works from the classical music and operatic repertoires.
  • 4pm – 6pm, Fountain Plaza | Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra
    • Viktor Ullman Piano Concerto
      Featured Piano Soloist Allison Lovejoy
    • Friedrich Chopin, Piano Concerto No 1
      Featured Piano Soloist Elektra Schmidt
    • Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto in G
      Featured Piano Soloist Kymry Esainko
  • 4pm – 6pm, Conifer Lawn | SF Symphony Musicians
    SF Symphony musicians performing chamber music
  • 4pm – 8pm, Flower Piano Lounge, Celebration Garden – Special Event Ticket Required
    Set Time: 5pm – 6 pm | Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers
    Eight Piece Band : Swing, Blues, and New Orleans Music!

Sunday, September 10

  • 10am – 2pm, Flower Piano Lounge, Celebration Garden – Special Event Ticket Required
    Set Time: 12pm – 1:30pm | The Orange Sunshine
    Orange Sunshine Plays Milton Nacimento
  • 11am – 1pm, Garden of Fragrance | Duo Piano Program
    • 11am – 12pm, St. Larsen Duo | Meredith Monk, Maurice Ravel, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Benjamin Gribble
    • 12pm – 1pm, Aristo Duo, Chia-Lin Yang & Vivian Ying Chen | Classical for Two Pianos
  • 11am – 6pm, Zellerbach Gardens, Featured Artists
    • 11 am – 12pm, Van Anh – Nguyen | Ryuichi Sakamoto and Friends
    • 12pm – 1pm, Tammy Hall | A Tribute to Burt Bacharach
    • 1pm – 2pm, Kennedy Realnes | Avant Garde, Soundscape, Jazz, Ambient, Impressionistic
    • 2pm – 3pm, Maria Parker’s Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble | Improvisational Flights and Modal Jazz Journeys
    • 3pm – 4pm, Allison Lovejoy | Allison Lovejoy Plays Liszt, Ravel, Gershwin, Boulanger, and Still
    • 4pm – 5pm, Kev Choice Trio | Hip-Hop Rooted Jazz & Classical Pianist
    • 5pm – 6pm, Lavay Smith and Chris Siebert | Swing, Blues, and New Orleans Music!
  • 11am – 6pm, Great Meadow, Featured Artists
    • 11am – 12pm, EnSPirits | Alternative R&B/Contemporary Jazz
    • 12pm – 1pm, Kash Killion and Killion’s Trillions | A Tribute to Sun Ra
    • 1pm – 2pm, C and C Duo | C and C Performs Soulful Piano & Vocal Duet
    • 2pm – 3pm, Kevin Gerzevitz | Kevin Gerzevitz Trio Tribute to Burt Bacharach
    • 3pm – 4pm, The Cottontails | Vintage Swing, Jazz/R&B
    • 4pm – 5pm, Mr Lucky & the Cocktail Party | That’s Entertainment!
    • 5pm – 6pm, Musica Cubana Quintet | Musica Cubana
  • 1pm – 3pm, Redwood Grove | Little Mission Studio
    Music from classical and contemporary composers for a family friendly performance.
  • 4pm – 5pm, Ancient Plant Garden| San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College
    Youth 18 and under performing a range of modern and contemporary pieces.

Monday, September 11

  • 11am – 12pm, Redwood Grove | Penelope Keep & Special Guests
    Classical/Jazz Fusion: Bach, Beethoven, Bonds, & Blues
  • 12am – 1pm, Redwood Grove | Irina Omelchenko
    Classical, Rock and Roll, and Boogie Boogie
  • 12pm -1pm, Garden of Fragrance | Danny Sullivan
    A Bacharach Bacchanal Potpourri of Pianistic Panoramas
  • 1pm – 2pm, Conifer Lawn | SF Jazz HS All Stars
    A pre-professional training program for current Bay Area high school age jazz musicians.
  • 1pm – 2pm, Garden of Fragrance | Marisa Winter, vocal & Elektra Schmidt, piano
    Arias and Irreverent Stories
  • 3pm – 6pm, Conifer Lawn | Beat Corner, Avante Garden Music and Poetry
    Bay Area Poets hosted by Jessica Loos
    Music by Mauro, Dean, Antony, and others.

Afternoon Concert

  • 3pm – 4pm, Great Meadow | The Bernal Hill Players
    Vibrant Music by Latin American Composers
  • 4pm – 5pm, Great Meadow | Betty Roi Trio
    Authentic Parisien Chanteuse Sings Jazz and Cabaret
  • 5pm – 6pm, Great Meadow | Charged Particles
    Original Funky Latin Jazz with a Spark!
  • 6pm – 7pm, Conifer Lawn | Free Key Choir
    80 Voice Contemporary Choir from Oakland

Tuesday, September 12

  • 12pm – 1pm, Zellerbach Garden | Mauro ffortissimo
    Interpretations of Bach, Brahms, Schubert, Piazzolla and Villa Lobos
  • 1pm – 2pm, Zellerbach Garden | Elektra Schmidt & Lewis Patzner
    Duos by Greek, French, Spanish, and Argentinian Composers

Lunchtime Concert

  • 12pm -1pm, Great Meadow | Rob Reich Trio
    Crystalline Melodic Discoveries and Improvisational Flights
  • 1pm – 2pm, Great Meadow | Steve Abrams Trio
    Hard Bop, Latin Jazz, Salsa, and Swing
  • 2pm – 3pm, Celebration Garden | Caroline Dahl
    Boogie Woogie Piano: Blended and Bunkum-Free
  • 2pm – 3pm, Conifer Lawn | Martin Luther McCoy
    Martin Luther presents his distinct blend of jazz funk fusion accompanied by Robin Hodge Williams
  • 3pm to 4pm, Celebration Garden | Kitten on the Keys
    Unexpected Covers, Cabaret Originals, Nostalgic Flapper Rock
  • 3pm – 4pm, Garden of Fragrance | Jaron Lanier & Colin Farish
    Entangled Synchronicity While Surfing in a Global Musical Flux
  • 4pm – 5pm, Garden of Fragrance | Colin Farish
    Tribute to Keith Jarrett with Spontaneous Compositions
  • 4pm – 5pm, Celebration Garden | Antony Ty
    Songs from a Different Kind of Tension

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Flower Piano Lounge Sessions at Celebration Garden

Lounge sessions are offered from 10am-2pm and 4-8pm. Sessions are in four-hour increments. Patrons will be asked to exit at the end of each lounge session. Featured artists will give an approximate 90-minute musical set.

BUY $40 SPECIAL LOUNGE SESSIONS TICKET / $130 ALL ACCESS PASS

During Flower Piano 2023 the Celebration Garden will be transformed into an intimate new experience called the Flower Piano Lounge. In the Lounge you will enjoy private concerts with access to full service bar offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages & food makers from our partners at Off The Grid, lounge furniture, and exclusive bathrooms. Enjoy expedited entry into the event and in-and-out privileges between the Lounge and rest of the Garden for Flower Piano. The Lounge has limited capacity. Reserve your tickets today!

About Sunset Piano
Mauro ffortissimo and Dean Mermell together launched Sunset Piano in 2013 when ffortissimo covertly rolled an old grand piano onto the bluffs over Half Moon Bay. As word spread through social media, the crowds grew way beyond the occasional dog walker. Thousands came to hear the music before the county ordered the piano removed. Since then, Sunset Piano has expanded this impromptu musical and social experiment, temporarily placing pianos in a wide variety of unexpected natural and urban settings around the Bay Area every year, from the top of Montara Mountain to Market Street. Flower Piano, a collaboration with San Francisco Botanical Garden, is Sunset Piano’s largest and most ambitious undertaking. Mermell’s documentary about Sunset Piano is entitled Twelve Pianos.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: FREE*
*From 2019: Free for San Francisco Residents with proof of ID. $9 for regular entry.
Categories: **Annual Event**, *Top Pick*, Live Music, San Francisco
Address: 1199 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122