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Where there’s a piano, there’s a way. Or 10.
On April 16, Michael Allen Harrison’s Ten Grands benefit concert will make its return after a two-year hiatus, packing 10 pianos into Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for a single event billed as “Ten Grands Is Back.”
“Our city is awakening, and we are coming together to share live music in the heart of Portland once more,” stated Harrison in a press release. “Our performers have eagerly awaited this moment to take part in this special benefit performance. We can’t wait to share what we’ve put together.”
The multiple-piano extravaganza is the largest of its kind in the United States. It has been a tradition for two decades, ever since Harrison and co-collaborator Greg Tamblyn scrawled the idea on a napkin.
The show will feature classical, jazz, New Age and contemporary pop arrangements performed by a roster of star pianists: Tom Grant, Robert O’Hearn, Dr. Andrea Johnson, Colleen Adent, Mac and Haley Potts, Mark Salman, William Chapman Nyaho and John Nilsen, along with vocalist Julianne Johnson.
Ten Grands Is Back is a fundraiser for Play It Forward, a nonprofit founded by Harrison and his wife, Marietta Harrison. Play It Forward advocates for equal access to music education for students, providing no-cost instruments and lessons.
“As musicians, we all needed an opportunity to become who we are today, whether that was a dedicated teacher, access to instruments, or a mentor who simply believed in you,” said Harrison. “This is our chance as a music community to create an opportunity for the next generation.”
Ten Grands Is Back will take place at 5:30 pm Saturday, April 16. Tickets are available at www.tengrands.com for $28 to $95.
Related: Michael Allen Harrison’s Essential Seven