Boardwalk Pianist James Levac set for music and cycling expedition to Niagara Falls
By MATTHEW STEPHENS
Although many local residents may not be familiar with the name James Levac, there’s a good chance they’ve crossed paths with him and experienced his works of artistic expression.
Known by many as the Boardwalk Pianist, Levac has been serenading beachgoers with his melodic piano performances for years.
And now, for the first time, Levac has embarked on a cycling expedition from Toronto to Niagara Falls, to connect with the world and give music fans outside the East Toronto area a chance to experience his intimate performances firsthand.
“You know, when people drive from Toronto to Niagara Falls, they usually just think about getting there. The spaces in between barely register — it’s just road,” said Levac. “But when you’re propelling a piano on a tricycle, you start to notice everything. The wind, the people, the landscapes that most people just pass by at 100 kilometres an hour — they start to mean something again.”
As the sun rose along the Boardwalk on Thursday, Oct. 23, Levac ushered in the new day with a commemorative song to signify the beginning of his months-long venture to Niagara.
“The journey isn’t about speed or efficiency,” explained Levac. “It’s about slowing down enough to notice things again — the land, the people, the silence between songs. Every stop — Burlington, Hamilton, Niagara — adds a bit of story, a bit of music.”
The roughly 65-kilometre cycling and musical expedition is part of a three-segment journey he calls The Extremely Solo Piano Concert Tour. Levac will travel with his grand piano-mounted tricycle from Toronto to Hamilton this fall, then continue to Niagara Falls next spring, before culminating his journey in June 2026 with a boat ride to transport himself and the piano back to the city.
“When I finally bring the piano back across Lake Ontario, it’ll feel like closing a circle — showing that the road, the lake, the people, and the music are all connected. In a way, I’m trying to remind people that the spaces between destinations matter — they’re not empty. They’re where we actually live,” said Levac.
He said he plans to make scheduled stops to perform along the journey, as well as improvised stops to perform for unsuspecting audiences.
“Some performances will be planned, others will just happen because someone asked, or because the light was just right,” said Levac.
In a post on a local Facebook group, Levac said his journey across Southern Ontario is reminiscent of musical performances from an era lost to time.
“It’s sort of like what Vivaldi might do if he were still alive… and owned a solar-powered virtual grand piano mounted on the back of a tricycle,” said Levac in his Facebook post.
Piano-mounted tricycles are an invention that has only been in documented existence since the early 2000s. Due to their unconventional nature, many trike pianos are custom built and unique to the musician who plays it.
During his music career, Levac has built several trike/bike pianos, each with it’s own unique traversal capabilities that will help to make the journey possible.
“I build these pianos,” said Levac. “The first one’s the original — that’s the one I’ll be riding from Toronto to Hamilton. The second one’s going to be the upgraded version for the next leg of the trip, from Hamilton to Niagara Falls — carbon fiber, lighter, better suspension.”
Levac has been a musician and performer for more than 40 years. His career has taken him across the province and seen him appear at a vast range of shows; from concert performances to street parties and outdoor weddings – even driveway and porch performances during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With The Extremely Solo Piano Concert Tour, Levac will reach a new personal milestone for the longest cycling journey since travelling 27.5 kilometres from Toronto to Markham on a standard bicycle to perform at a senior’s home.
“Physically? It’s not bad. I once hauled a piano 27.5 kilometres behind a standard bicycle to Markham to play for some seniors — took me under four hours. So yeah, I can do Hamilton,” said Levac.
“I’ll carry tools, spare parts, and a couple of extra tunes in case something breaks — because something always breaks. And when it does, that’s part of the story.”
With his latest venture, Levac said he is hoping the journey will connect him with the world and music in a way he has yet to experience.
“We’ve made it possible to go fast, but that speed made us forget where we are. My piano tricycle reverses that. It brings the journey back to a human scale. I’m exposed to the world — the terrain, the weather, the conversations that happen along the way. Every stop becomes a moment; every encounter becomes part of the music,” said Levac.
For more information about Levac and his music, head to his website at https://web.archive.org/web/20220226225430/http://www.jameslevacmusic.com/
