By Peter Feher
Piano bars are popular again, declared the New York Post in 2022, and Northeast Ohio got in on the trend earlier this month courtesy of Piano Cleveland.
For the final concert of the presenter’s annual Piano Days series on Saturday, Aug. 2, New York-based performer Natalie Tenenbaum took over Playhouse Square’s intimate Hanna Theatre with a swanky soundtrack that ranged from Frédéric Chopin to Michael Jackson.
The evening, titled “The Piano // Re-Imagined,” felt like a lounge set on steroids, combining genres to crowd-pleasing effect. The only thing missing was cocktail chatter — Tenenbaum held the audience rapt, recital-style, with her tremendous technique at the keyboard.
As the hosts of the Cleveland International Piano Competition, Piano Cleveland spends plenty of time promoting traditional classical repertoire. But their other programming, like the summer festival Piano Days, focus on celebrating the instrument in all its forms.