NYC Health + Hospitals Receives Six Sing for Hope Pianos Designed by Artists

NYC Health + Hospitals Receives Six Sing for Hope Pianos Designed by Artists

Mar 13, 2026

NYC Health + Hospitals' Arts in Medicine department today announced the placement of six artist-designed Sing for Hope Pianos across the health care system. The program has placed over 700 pianos to schools, hospitals, and community centers around the world. The Sing for Hope Pianos are now in lobbies and waiting rooms and can be played by patients, staff, and visitors. They can be found at NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter; NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Gouverneur; NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County; NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney; NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens; and NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. The initiative is supported by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

A large body of scientific research has shown that music can have a profound effect on health. Music reduces symptoms of depression, supports pain management, provides a safe environment to contribute to healing from trauma, and builds resilience while decreasing anxiety and blood pressure. Music improves sleep quality, mental alertness, memory, and overall health and well-being.

Sing for Hope also collaborates with NYC Health + Hospitals on its Music for the Soul program, a series of free concerts in and around the health care system. In 2025, the program held 80 free concerts and reached over 13,000 attendees. The concerts featured New York City-based musicians who performed a variety of genres, including jazz, classical, folk, hip hop, and Latin music.

"We are proud to support the work of NYC Health + Hospitals' Arts in Medicine department and partners like Sing for Hope, who share the belief that creativity belongs in hospitals and clinics," said Laurie Tisch, President of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. "Our Arts in Health initiative was created to help bring creative engagement into the lives of people across New York who might not otherwise have access to the arts in healthcare. When a piano appears in a hospital, it invites people to pause, connect, and experience the space as inviting and warm. We're thrilled to see these six joining other Sing for Hope pianos in our public hospitals where they can provide the healing power of music to those who need it most."

"At NYC Health + Hospitals, we believe in the extensive evidence base for the arts to address staff burnout and uplift spirits," said NYC Health + Hospitals Assistant Vice President of Arts in Medicine Larissa Trinder. "These artist-designed pianos are an invitation for patients, staff, and visitors to connect with music's profound ability to reduce stress, support recovery, and promote well-being. Through partnerships like Sing for Hope we are proud to bring joy and comfort into our healthcare spaces to foster resilience and support human connection."

"As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, Sing for Hope is honored to continue to partner with NYC Health + Hospitals to integrate the Sing for Hope Pianos into these vital healthcare environments," said Sing for Hope Co-Founder Monica Yunus. "We view the arts as an essential component of the care continuum, providing active creative engagement that supports the wellbeing of the entire community."

Sing for Hope Co-Founder Camille Zamora added, "By providing a space for creative expression and healing, these Sing For Hope Pianos serve as therapeutic interventions that help reduce clinical stress for patients and staff alike. Our goal is to foster a more resilient healthcare ecosystem, utilizing the power of the arts to enhance the experience across the NYC Health + Hospitals system."

The following Sing for Hope Pianos were recently placed at NYC Health + Hospitals:

• Community Hearts by artist Danielle Chery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Gouverneur
• Cosmic Garden by artist Christopher Spinelli at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
• Harlem Love by artist Danielle Chery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter
• Hidden Cats in Nature by artist Rangoli Mittal at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
• Music Makes Us Fly by artist Vanessa Alvarez at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
• Nectar Network by artist Double Yolk at NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney

"The partnership with Sing for Hope has been an uplifting experience for Carter staff, patients, residents, and just about every visitor who walks through our doors. Each musical performance feels like a private concert, and we have front row seats," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter Chief Executive Officer Floyd R. Long, LNHA, MBA."From promoting wellness to supporting healing, music continues to have a profound impact on our community. We are grateful to Arts in Medicine and Sing for Hope for this generous donation, and Carter is thrilled to be the new home for this one-of-a-kind piano."

"We are thrilled to be part of this incredible initiative with Sing for Hope. The integration of these artist-designed pianos into Gotham Health, Gouverneur provides a unique therapeutic opportunity and promotes well-being among our patients, staff, and visitors," said Dr. Morris Gagliardi, Regional Medical Director of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health. "This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing patient care and supporting the holistic health of our community."

"This piano was a transformative gift," said Chantal Georges, LCAT, RDT, Director of Mental Health of the Therapeutic Rehabilitation Department at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. "It brightens up our space. The team truly appreciated the donation, and we're so excited to see how the children will react to it."

"We are deeply grateful to Sing for Hope for this generous piano donation. Music has a unique ability to bring comfort, inspiration, and connection, especially in a healthcare setting," said NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney CEO Daveth Forbes-Thomas, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, LNHA. "This generous contribution highlights the importance of community partnerships and the positive impact of music in enhancing the well-being and quality of life for our nursing home residents."

Svetlana Lipyanskaya, the CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health, commented, "I would like to thank the NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine Department, Sing for Hope, and the Laurie Tish Illumination Fund for donating this beautiful artist designed piano to South Brooklyn Health. As research demonstrates, music has a profound effect on our mood, health and wellness. The music this piano will bring to patients, family, staff and visitors will help them heal, and for that we are truly grateful."

Dr. Manjinder Kaur, Chief Operating Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health shared, "Yesterday at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health, we celebrated the arrival of our new piano with a ribbon cutting. Before the remarks had even finished, some of our youngest patients were already filling the space with music and joy, a powerful reminder of how meaningful moments of creativity and connection can be in a healthcare setting."

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About NYC Health + Hospitals' Arts in Medicine Department
The Arts in Medicine department at NYC Health + Hospitals enriches the healthcare environment by fostering emotional well-being and supporting healing for patients, families, staff, and the broader community. Through the integration of literary, visual, and performing arts across the system, the department affirms the arts as a vital dimension of care. In addition to stewarding one of the nation's largest public art collections, Arts in Medicine advances evidence-based approaches and cultivates artistic innovation and education within clinical and community settings. Together, these efforts create a continuum in which the arts are not ancillary, but essential to resilience, recovery, and human connection. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/artsinmedicine.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination FundThe Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund is a New York City-based foundation that aims to improve access and opportunity for all New Yorkers and foster healthy and vibrant communities. In 2018, the Illumination Fund launched Arts in Health, a multi-year initiative to support organizations utilizing the arts as a tool for healing and building understanding in communities across New York City. The initiative's areas of focus are stigma, trauma and aging-related diseases as well as supporting organizations addressing mental health in communities disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 the Illumination Fund supported the creation of NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine department, expanding programs serving health care staff, patients, and communities in sites across the City. For more information, visit https://www.lmtif.org or follow @LMTischFund on Twitter.

About Sing for Hope
Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Our creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, schools, care facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and public spaces worldwide. A non-profit organization founded in New York City in response to the events of 9/11, Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. The official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Sing for Hope champions art for all because we believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal. Learn more at singforhope.org.