Seraphina Lotkhamnga on April 24th, 2012

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At noon on April 12, 30 pianists sat down in a different location all across L.A. County to play the first prelude of Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier.”  It was the L.A. kick-off to a globally oriented public art project called “Play Me, I’m Yours,” a project founded by London artist Luke Jerram in 2008. During the three weeks that followed, these 30 colorfully decorated pianos in places from Union Station to the Santa Monica pier have been available to the public 24 hours a day, and all the spontaneity wraps up with “Love Letters to LA: Pianos Live,” a pop-up concert featuring local artists on Thursday at the Egyptian Theatre.

“Play Me, I’m Yours” had its U.S. debut in New York, but its encouraging message of community – with only a piano, an instrument that is usually confined to the walls of a concert hall or a living room – has also spread to events happening in places such as Brazil and Australia. Now that’s come to L.A., a city full of of people who are eager to share their talents (and those who just feel like plunking out a few notes out), the energy and interaction from Angelenos comes full circle with a pop-up concert on Thursday featuring local artists and bands such as Mariah McManus, Races, LA Font and more. Produced by Karmeck Productions and James Gannon in association with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Tadpole Audio and the Egyptian Theatre, the concert is scheduled to start at 8:45 p.m., and artists will  pay homage their city in front of this iconic venue by playing songs of their choosing that mean “Los Angeles” to them.

The complete lineup can be found at the event’s Facebook and Tumblr page.

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is available first-come, first-serve in Plaza courtyard as well as adjacent bar, Maui’s.

To follow the installation and view the list of all local piano locations, you can visit http://streetpianos.com/la2012/.