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. 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