Play Me, I'm Yours is Page 1 news ...

"The 'Play Me I’m Yours' public art project comes to Boston
this week as Celebrity Series of Boston places 75 pianos around the city to
celebrate its 75^th anniversary. The first pianos were installed
Wednesday, with the full project starting Friday and running through Oct. 14"

Find a piano, upload and image or a movie, read about Play Me, I'm Yours: www.streetpianosboston.com

Check out our 75th Anniversary Season: www.celebrityseries.org.

Not "just playing, but making things..." Vijay Iyer gets a MacArthur Grant

Pianist Vijay Iyer is on this year's list of MacArthur Fellows; rarified air, indeed. Howard Reich talked to Iyer regarding his award for the Chicago Tribune:

"'I'm really inspired by the composer-pianists of the last century,
particularly (Duke) Ellington and (Thelonious) Monk and people in that
lineage who aren't just playing, but they're making things,' says Iyer,
speaking by phone from his home in New York and adding such names as
piano innovators Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner and Bud Powell."

Read the full story.

If you live in Boston or Cambridge, you can see and hear Iyer with poet Robert Pinsky on March 14 at Sanders Theatre as part of the Celebrity Series of Boston's 75th Anniversary Season.

vijay-iyer.com

The 2013 MacArthur Fellows

Boston's Street Piano locations are online!

The pianos are not on the street, yet, but the listings are! A map of all the locations of all 75 pianos in the Street Pianos Boston Festival, plus artists and host info are available online at: www.streetpianosboston.com.

Another small step in a season filled with 75th anniversary activities - learn more at www.celebrityseries.org!

Check our our new YouTube channel!

Our new YouTube channel is up and running! In honor of our 75th Anniversary Season we are featuring special messages from Celebrity Series of Boston performers. Our first posting is from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater artistic director Robert Battle.

Celebrity Series of Boston on YouTube

Play Me I'm Yours, the 1000th piano

In honor of our 75th anniversary, Celebrity Series of Boston is presenting Play Me, I'm Yours, the Boston street piano festival from September 27 to October 14. The event places 75 pianos on streets all over Boston for the public to play at any time.

Boston is not the first city to host Luke Jerram's remarkable project, but among the unique aspects of Boston's festival is that we will host the 1000th Play Me, I'm Yours piano. The video above shows, in just under 8 minutes, the handiwork of  Frank Casazza (Eyeformation) and Michael Crockett (Hazel Eyes Studio) as they turn a baby grand into a work of visual art. The 1000th piano will be available for the public to play on City Hall Plaza during the fesitval.

Street Pianos Boston

Play Me, I'm Yours Celebrity Series page

Celebrity Series of Boston

Wayne Shorter: Jazz means 'I dare you'

Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter

"The six years I was with Miles, we never talked about music. We never had a rehearsal. Jazz shouldn’t have any mandates. Jazz is not supposed to be something that’s required to sound like jazz. For me, the word 'jazz' means, 'I dare you.'" —Wayne Shorter

Wayne Shorter makes his Celebrity Series debut as part of the Wayne Shorter 80th Birthday Celebration (which will also feature John Patitucci, Danilo Perez, Brian Blade, Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Terri Lyne Carrington, Esperanza Spalding, Geri Allen, Lawrence Fields, Linda Oh, and Joey Barron).

Tip of the cap to Jason Crane and Destinationout.

Listen Magazine interview with pianist Yuja Wang

Check out Listen Magazine's interview with pianist Yuja Wang.

Yuja Wang performs on the Celebrity Series of Boston 75th Anniversary Season at Jordan Hall on October 18.