Best city in the US for piano?

[tomclear]

  I'd love some input:

  what in your opinion is the best piano city in the US?  [By this I mean, a lively
piano performance scene, schools, universities, conservatories; jobs for pianists accompanying, playing for singers, dancers, musicals, operas; a large number of interested students and potential students, just a great piano city].

 p.s., not New York or LA.

 Thanks!

[pytis]

i was gona say LA but saw the PS.

[dinosaurtales]

Well, NOT Portland, Oregon!  There's a million good pianists and no place to play! 

[tomclear]

 Exactly, DT!  That's why I'm leaving. 

[steinwayguy]

New York.

Yep, I don't care if you said "not new york".

New York.

[dinosaurtales]

Exactly, DT!  That's why I'm leaving. 

NNNNNN-n-n-n-n-oooooooooooo!  So you are "shopping" for a new place?  (sob!) 

[tomclear]

 Yes, DT: Come the end of June, I'm outta here, heading for California.
 How 'bout a burger at Skyline Burgers before I go?
 
 

[Hmoll]

New York.

Outside of NY, San Francisco.

[Alde]

Well, NOT Portland, Oregon!  There's a million good pianists and no place to play! 

I am surprised.  I always thought that Portland was a great place for piano.  The Piano Festival there is top notch.

[tomclear]

 In my experience, les Portlandais are quite willing to support famous pianists jetting in for a concert or a recital; they are willing to pay for lessons for children; what is missing is a vibrant, working middle-aged, middle class of pianists.
  Case in point: For 10 months, I tried to organize an event for the adult, not-quite Louis Lortie pianist.  My school and Steinway jointly sponsored it, I plastered craigslist up and down the west coast, flyers, etc.
  We got 2 entries!

[pianonut]

Philadelphia.  Kimmel Center for the Arts is dedicated to very high class performers.  And, then you have West Chester with a great University with ALL kinds of classes (so many many topics) in music.  I love living here in Collegeville.  It is rural, but yet close enough to the city to go to concerts or university.  The only drawback is that some of the streets are kind of narrow, some are one way, and you have to get used to driving here or you will completely lose direction.  Some older cities are like this, with streets dating WAY back.
 

[sharon_f]

Philadelphia. 

I lived in Philly for 23 years. (Now living in South Jersey.) I admit it does have some terrific schools: Curtis, Settlement Music School, Temple University (which has an outstanding piano faculty.) And, of course, it has the fabulous Kimmel Center, which is one of the most outstanding concert venues in the country.

But...(and this is just my experience) because it is so close, it seems to always play second fiddle to New York. Philadelphia will get some of the bigger names Yundi Li, Lang Lang, Argerich, Brendel, etc. but some of the more interesting pianists like Anderszewski will do NYC and maybe DC and bypass Philly. The Philadelphia Orchestra will do wonderful series like their current complete Mahler symphonies, but I don't remember a Beethoven Piano Sonata or Schubert Sonata series. For quite a few years Philly had the Pavarotti vocal competition but I don't believe it has ever had a piano competition. (I could be wrong.)

Don't get me wrong, I love Philadelphia (Go, Eagles!)and try to get there whenever I can, but I really think it still has a way to go to be considered a really great "piano city."

[steinwayguy]

The Dallas/Fort Worth area wouldn't be so bad either, Cliburn Competition...

[dinosaurtales]

Yes, DT: Come the end of June, I'm outta here, heading for California.
 How 'bout a burger at Skyline Burgers before I go?
 
 

Hell YES!  And I am muchly flexible these days!  my email is:  mindy@DinosaurTales.com

[dinosaurtales]

In my experience, les Portlandais are quite willing to support famous pianists jetting in for a concert or a recital; they are willing to pay for lessons for children; what is missing is a vibrant, working middle-aged, middle class of pianists.
  Case in point: For 10 months, I tried to organize an event for the adult, not-quite Louis Lortie pianist.  My school and Steinway jointly sponsored it, I plastered craigslist up and down the west coast, flyers, etc.
  We got 2 entries!

You are kidding.  All I hear is how many really good pianists there are here -everybody's better than me - just ask them!  ha!   I can't believe you didn't get a hundred entrants.  Did they need to be top-notch?  I have several piano friends who get together once a month to play for each other.  Some  are advanced players.  others are not.  We just like the opportunity to perform 'cause it's good for us.  Several of us would love to do a "casual" recital-style event if it wasn't a bender of a competition.  I got together with another friend of mine and we spent all afternoon playing stuff for each other and talking about pieces.  Don't move just 'cause you haven't met the "right" folks!  We need to talk!

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