Flower Piano’s whimsical charm brings music and nature together in SF

Walking from street parking in the Inner Sunset through the entrance of Flower Piano feels a little like entering the rabbit hole portal in Alice in Wonderland. The animals don’t talk but seeing 10 baby grands in the middle of a natural park is one of those magical experiences that makes you pinch yourself.

Flower Piano is an annual event held in the San Francisco Botanical Garden, where pianos are placed throughout the garden for people of all ages and skill levels to play. This celebration of music and nature fosters a sense of community and creativity, and highlights the importance of art in public spaces. It encourages spontaneous performances and interactions among attendees. It’s exceptionally enjoyable, even if you’re like me and do not actively seek out listening to classical music.

This is your opportunity to put your phone away and roam this perfectly wild-but-well-kept green space, following the sounds instead of a schedule. While there are programmed big acts, the unique venue and ad-libbed performances are what sets Flower Piano apart from other classical concerts. Spend some time at one of the main stages in the beginning, relax, eat your picnic and drink some of that BYO. But don’t spend all day in one spot.

I spoke with one pianist who seemed to be professional but was on a smaller piano hidden under a large tree. When I asked about his training, Rajiv Ayyangar from Menlo Park told me that he started playing the piano at age four, 33 years ago. He stopped playing in college for 15 years until his younger brother (also a pianist) got him back into it. Ayyangar says he does not play the piano for other people, ever — except at Flower Piano.

“I was a little bit nervous, but the experience here is so rare that I’m enjoying it,” Ayyangar said. “Sometimes I come in the morning and just play by myself.”

I also saw a lot of couples in love at Flower Piano. It is quite the romantic setting, how could you not be in love?

It’s difficult to imagine an al-fresco concert venue more whimsical than the Golden Gate Park Botanical Gardens. If you haven’t been — or you have no imagination — it’s very green. Even in the absence of a sunny day, it’s breathtaking.

The most striking stage is the one set on a dock in a mossy green body of water. It’s more difficult to both find, and to watch, as it’s nestled tightly between the dock and the tree, and there is only space for a small set of onlookers to onlook. But it’s not to be missed.

The other ‘main stage’ was set back in the park a bit. This area and the Flower Piano Lounge had a series of Latin music playing throughout the day. The actual scheduled description for one of the sets was “soulful Latin salsa music — you will dance.”

If you’re willing to shell out few extra dollars you can get access to the Flower Piano Lounge, where they have craft cocktails, local food makers, and a private concert series. The lounge was cool, and the band we saw there was incredible, but I think the experience of Flower Piano is so unique in itself and it felt so ‘private’ already that there’s no real reason to have FOMO over the lounge. That is, unless you forget to BYO and you want to order a margarita and sliders like I did.

Flower Piano is an immersive musical experience that breaks down the fourth wall of classical music performances, blurs the divisions between professional and novice, and blends urban life with nature. It’s about turning off your pre-wired habits and acquiescing to serendipity.

“Yes, there are some incredible straight-up traditional performances. But it’s also about the magic you encounter just walking around the Garden and happening upon someone nobody has ever heard of, who just happens to be brilliant,” said Dean Mermell, co-founder and producer of Flower Piano — and music maker.

And Flower Piano goes all-in on this ethos. They actually seek out these “local superstars” who are just playing to play, and put some of them on the program for the following year.

They’re creating space for classical music to be egalitarian and understated. That’s the beauty of it.

Courtney Muro is a San Francisco-based content strategist, producer, designer, and creator.

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