Brenna Swanston
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They’ve performed from the Great Wall of China, the edge of the Grand Canyon, an ice cave in Utah — and Wednesday, The Piano Guys will play from the stage of the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC).
The YouTube-famous duo has gained a massive online following from its music videos, which feature mashups of classical and modern music over spectacular backdrops.
“It’s big-production,” Cal Poly arts director Steve Lerian said. “Their whole persona almost has more to do with the music videos than their live performances, but their live performances recreate a lot with giant streamed videos while they’re playing onstage.”
The group’s name is a bit of a misnomer, in fact — The Piano Guys include a cellist, pianist, videographer and music producer. The four Utah-based dads started the outfit with the intention of promoting pianist Jon Schmidt’s piano store on social media. Now, their YouTube channel has nearly 4 million subscribers and its most popular video has over 45 million views.
The Piano Guys will hit the PAC’s stage May 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available ranging from $40 to $75. Lerian suggested students check with the box office on the day of the concert to see if student rush tickets are available.