Lara Downes

Lara Downes was recently honoured as Classical Woman of the Year by NPR’s Performance Today.

She combines work as a sought-after soloist, a chart-topping recording artist and an NPR personality as host of her popular video show Amplify with Lara Downes, which aired its final episode last autumn.

Her recent and forthcoming concerts include appearances with the orchestras of Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Louisville and Indianapolis, and recitals and residencies at Lincoln Center, Disney Hall, Ravinia, Tanglewood, the Gilmore Festival, Carolina Performing Arts, Washington Performing Arts, Caramoor, Cal Performances, and Saratoga Performing Arts Center, among others.

She has collaborated with an eclectic group of artists, including the Miró Quartet, Rhiannon Giddens, Rita Dove, Brian Stokes Mitchell, John McWhorter and Daniel Hope. Her close partnerships with prominent composers span genres and generations, with premieres and commissions coming from Billy Childs, Valerie Coleman, Arturo O’Farrill, Teddy Abrams and Clarice Assad, among many others.

She is increasingly active as a curator and creative partner, working with organisations such as Lincoln Center, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Brevard Festival, as well as being Resident Artist with Classical KDFC in San Francisco and Classical KUSC in Los Angeles.

She has released albums on Pentatone, Sony Masterworks and Sono Luminus. Her latest release is Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined, which follows her 2023 album Love at Last. Her new album, of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will be released next month.

Her fierce commitment to citizenship and advocacy has led to her role as an Artist Ambassador for Headcount, a non-partisan organisation that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy.

Lara Downes has recently launched the Declaration Project, a national initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States by gathering together American communities to find common ground in exploring the core essence of the country’s founding promise: the unalienable rights of ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. By engaging with multi-generational communities in the form of round-table conversations, generative writing workshops, and collaborative creative practice, she is encouraging reflection and expression that actively reimagines the promise of a shared future.

Piano

Cafodd Lara Downes ei hanrhydeddu’n ddiweddar fel Menyw Glasurol y Flwyddyn gan Performance Today NPR.

Mae’n cyfuno gwaith fel unawdydd y mae galw mawr amdani, artist recordio sydd wedi bod ar frig y siartiau, a phersonoliaeth ar NPR (National Public Radio) lle bu’n cyflwyno ei rhaglen fideo boblogaidd, Amplify with Laura Downes; darlledwyd y bennod olaf yr hydref diwethaf.

Mae ei chyngherddau diweddar a’r rhai sydd ganddi ar y gweill yn cynnwys ymddangosiadau gyda cherddorfeydd Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Louisville a Indianapolis, ymysg eraill, a datganiadau a chyfnodau preswyl yn y Lincoln Center, Disney Hall, Ravinia, Tanglewood, Gŵyl Gilmore, Carolina Performing Arts, Washington Performing Arts, Caramoor, Cal Performances, a’r Saratoga Performing Arts Center, ymysg eraill.

Mae hi wedi cydweithio â grŵp eclectig o artistiaid, gan gynnwys Pedwarawd Miró, Rhiannon Giddens, Rita Dove, Brian Stokes Mitchell, John McWhorter a Daniel Hope. Mae ei phartneriaethau agos â chyfansoddwyr blaenllaw yn rhychwantu genres a chenedlaethau, gyda phremières a chomisiynau ar y ffordd gan Billy Childs, Valerie Coleman, Arturo O’Farrill, Teddy Abrams a Clarice Assad, a llawer mwy.

Mae hi’n gwneud mwy a mwy o waith fel curadur a phartner creadigol, gan weithio gyda sefydliadau fel y Lincoln Center, Cerddorfa Siambr Los Angeles a Gŵyl Brevard, yn ogystal â bod yn Artist Preswyl gyda Classical KDFC yn San Francisco a Classical KUSC yn Los Angeles.

Mae hi wedi rhyddhau albymau ar labeli Pentatone, Sony Masterworks a Sono Luminus. Ei recordiad diweddaraf yw Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined, sy’n dilyn ei halbwm Love at Last a ryddhawyd yn 2023. Mae ei halbwm newydd, sef Concerto Florence Price i’r Piano gyda Cherddorfa Philadelphia a Yannick Nézet-Séguin, yn cael ei ryddhau fis nesaf.

Mae ei hymrwymiad brwd i ddinasyddiaeth ac eiriolaeth wedi arwain at ei rôl fel Llysgennad Artistig ar gyfer Headcount, sefydliad amhleidiol sy’n defnyddio pŵer cerddoriaeth i gofrestru pleidleiswyr ac i annog pobl i gymryd rhan mewn democratiaeth.

Yn ddiweddar, lansiodd Lara Downes y ‘Declaration Project’, sef menter genedlaethol sy’n nodi 250 mlynedd ers sefydlu’r Unol Daleithiau drwy ddod â chymunedau o America at ei gilydd i ddod o hyd i dir cyffredin drwy fynd i graidd addewid sylfaenol y wlad: yr hawliau diymwad ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. Drwy ymgysylltu â chymunedau aml-genhedlaeth ar ffurf sgyrsiau bwrdd crwn, gweithdai ysgrifennu cynhyrchiol, ac ymarfer creadigol cydweithredol, mae hi’n annog myfyrdod a mynegiant sy’n ailddychmygu’r addewid o ddyfodol ar y cyd.