Pianists Jamael Dean, Brandon Coleman, Inna Faliks, Jonathan Montes, and Donia Jarrar, clockwise from top left, performing in the Union Station Waiting Room in June.

Some fun news: Union Station’s piano is open again for public playing!

To celebrate the return of the much-loved public piano at Union Station, Metro Art Presents has curated five pop-up piano performances showcasing a diverse group of Los Angeles-based musicians, filmed live in June.

From July 19 through July 23, Metro Art Presents Play On!  will premiere nightly at 7 p.m. across the Metro, Metro Art and Union Station Facebook and Instagram platforms, and on Union Station’s YouTube channel.

Metro’s new Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Wiggins has a message to personally welcome our piano playing public back to Union Station, along with a sneak peek into next week’s online performances.

Here’s the schedule:

Monday, July 19: Jamael Dean – a jazz prodigy who has collaborated and performed with artists such as Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Niño.

Tuesday, July 20: Donia Jarrar – an emerging composer, pianist, producer and interdisciplinary artist working across the fields of contemporary music, film, dance, theater and installation art.

Wednesday, July 21:  Inna Faliks – the head of piano for UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music who has performed across the U.S. and around the world, gives stellar performances of Ravel and Liszt.

Thursday, July 22:  Brandon Coleman –  this keyboard maestro, vocalist and composer is a regular fixture with contemporary luminaries such as Babyface, Donald Glover, Flying Lotus and Kamasi Washington’s band who represents a new chapter in the evolution of jazz and funk fusion.

Friday, July 23:  Jonathan Montes – an up-and-coming multi-genre keyboardist whose Latin jazz stylings and production work has appeared on the television series “Jane the Virgin” and allowed him to perform at the Hollywood Bowl and Latin Grammys.

The socially-distanced performances on the Union Station piano were recorded live in the Waiting Room in mid-June as a live pop-up to surprise and delight transit riders with live music as they passed through the station.

If you’d like to play, the piano is available daily on a first-come, first-served basis, up to 20 minutes per player.

Here’s a look back at some great moments of players who’ve passed through the station to grace the keys spontaneously over the years, pre-pandemic, in March and September 2016.

Metro Art Presents showcases an exciting year-round array of arts and cultural events at historic Union Station. From music and dance performances, film screenings and poetry readings to experimental and mixed-media presentations, the programs enliven downtown’s primary transportation hub for all ages.

Click here for information about how Metro enriches the transit experience through innovative, multifaceted arts and cultural programs.

You can also follow Metro Art on Instagram, Facebook, and at #MetroArtLA, or subscribe to our newsletter for information on upcoming programs at metro.net/art.