Lara Downes

Lara Downes is an American classical pianist and cultural activist who has made the popularization of classical music by women and black Americans one of her causes.^[1][2][3] She was selected as the Classical Woman of the Year for 2022 by a poll of listeners to the radio program Performance Today.^[4]

She is host of the NPR show AMPLIFY with Lara Downes and is an Artist Ambassador for Headcount, working to promote participation in democracy through music.^[5] On March 18, 2022, Downes was announced as the successor to the recently retired Jim Svejda on KUSC radio in Los Angeles. Since then, she has hosted "Evening Music", which can be heard Mondays-Fridays from 8 PM - midnight.

Discography

• Exiles' Cafe (2013)^[6]
• America Again (2016)^[7][8][9]
• For Lenny (2018)^[10]
• Holes in the Sky (2019)^[11]
• For Love of You (2019)^[12]
• Florence Price Piano Discoveries (2020)^[13]
• Reflections: Scott Joplin Reconsidered (2022)^[14]
• Love at Last, Pentatone (2023)
• This Land, Pentatone (2024)

References

1. Anne Midgette (2019-02-24). "The unbearable lightness of women's music: Pianist Downes celebrates the matriarchy". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
2. Ruff, William (23 October 2017). "Lara Downes at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall - Review". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
3. Kosman, Joshua. "Review: Oakland Symphonys triumphant season opener begins new chapter". sfchronicle.com. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
4. "2022 Classical Woman of the Year: Lara Downes". www.yourclassical.org. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
5. "Boston Symphony Orchestra, about Lara Downes".
6. "Album review: Lara Downes, Exiles' Cafe (Steinway & Sons)". The Independent. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
7. Huizenga, Tom (20 October 2016). "Review: Lara Downes, 'America Again'". NPR. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
8. "Classical pianist Lara Downes reimagines the American dream". South China Morning Post. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
9. Weininger, David. "Lara Downes casts a wide net on beautiful album 'America Again' - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
10. "Classical Album of the Week: For Lenny". WRTI. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
11. "Lara Downes Celebrates Women Composers on Her New Album". SFCV. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
12. "Classical Album of the Week: Pianist Lara Downes Honors Clara Schumann's Life and Work". WRTI. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
13. Barone, Joshua (12 February 2021). "3 New Albums Retell the History of Black Composers". The New York Times.
14. "A Pianist Strolls Her Harlem History, and Scott Joplin's". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-01-21.

External links

• Lara Downes' Web site