Lara Downes
Lara Downes is among the foremost American pianists of her generation, a trailblazer both on and off the stage, whose musical roadmap seeks inspiration from the legacies of history, family and collective memory. As a chart-topping recording artist, a powerfully charismatic performer, a curator and tastemaker, Downes is recognized as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene.
Downes' forays into the broad landscape of American music have created a series of acclaimed recordings, including America Again, hailed by The Boston Globe as "a balm for a country riven by disunion."
With a fierce commitment to arts advocacy, Downes enjoys creative collaborations with a range of leading artists, including multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer Rhiannon Giddens, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Simone Dinnerstein, folk icon Judy Collins, writer Adam Gopnik, and former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove. Her close partnerships with prominent composers span genres and generations, with premieres and commissions coming from Jennifer Higdon, John Corigliano, Stephen Schwartz, Paola Prestini, Clarice Assad, Michael Abels, and many others.
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The former poet laureate, Pulitzer winner and musician says she's obsessed with telling neglected stories and making poems sing.
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The composer for the Oscar-winning film Green Book and the runaway hit series Bridgerton examines intersections between classical, jazz and pop, while paying homage to past musical pioneers.
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The renowned musician and Late Show bandleader has sage advice on everything from finding your north star and owning your own orbit to honoring lineage.
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In conversation and in song, the opera singer and the pianist discover healing in a traumatized space.
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The thoughtful soprano believes that art is good at questioning, challenging and provoking. But the real question, she says, is: "What happens after the provocation?"
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The restless creator of music and theatre says the pandemic has opened up new ways to be a storyteller.
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The New York Philharmonic principal clarinetist blows apart the labels he once applied to himself to discover a stream of activism.
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Eavesdrop on the forward-thinking pianist as she talks with musical omnivore Rhiannon Giddens, who has just taken over Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road organization.