*The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) and its Music Director Jaime Martín are excited to announce a groundbreaking addition to their team—a first-ever Creative Partner, Lara Downes. In this unique role, Downes brings her life’s rich tapestry of musical talent and cultural insights to an artistic partnership with the orchestra, beginning on July 1, 2024.
Downes’ appointment is a reflection of her illustrious career and diverse cultural heritage. Born in the United States to a Jamaican father and a Russian mother, Downes’ upbringing has significantly shaped her broad musical views. Her journey in music began at a young age, showcased early by her extraordinary talent on the piano. Formal musical pursuits led her to the Manhattan School of Music and masterclasses with the celebrated Israeli-American pianist Leon Fleisher.
Joining LACO, Downes embodies more than just exceptional musicianship. She is a powerful advocate for change and inclusivity within the arts. Her three-year tenure as Creative Partner encompasses artistic planning, performance, community engagement, advocacy, and educational initiatives. Despite her new responsibilities, Downes will continue her independent endeavors, including performances, broadcasting, and recording projects. Her eagerly awaited album, “THIS LAND,” releases on August 23, 2024, under the Pentatone label. This project delves into the rich and complex narrative of America’s diverse musical heritage.
Already a well-known personality, particularly in Southern California for her radio presence on KUSC’s “Evening Music” and her nationwide broadcasts on NPR’s “Amplify with Lara Downes” and “Classical Americana,” Downes’ voice will now resonate even more within the cultural fabric of LACO and its audience.
“On behalf of everyone at LACO, I am thrilled to welcome Lara Downes as the Orchestra’s first Creative Partner. An iconoclastic artist and beloved radio host with millions of followers on air, online, and in the concert hall, she is deeply passionate about classical music and ensuring its access to all communities,” Martín said, expressing his enthusiasm about the appointment. “Her unique perspective and out-of-the-box thinking dovetails with LACO’s mission to advance the chamber music art form, building upon its remarkable foundation. I look forward to collaborating with her both on stage and behind the scenes on LACO’s artistic, education, and community-building endeavors.”
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“I’m so delighted and excited to join LACO as the Orchestra’s Creative Partner, a unique role that harnesses all my interests and energies across a broad landscape of performance, curation, community engagement, education, and advocacy. LACO’s visionary programming travels the long road of our art form – wide-open territory for my own artistic explorations of the musical crossroads where past meets present, where traditions merge, journeys converge, and new ideas take root,” Lara Downes responded, echoing the enthusiasm. “I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and work with Jaime Martín and LACO’s brilliant musicians, staff, and friends as we continue together to create innovative, intimate, and inspiring musical experiences that welcome the communities of Los Angeles and the world beyond.”
Downes’ role will not be confined to a single aspect; rather, she will be involved in multiple capacities, including serving as a creative advisor to Martín, performing on and curating selected programs, mentoring LACO’s Sound Investment composers, and advancing the prestigious Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Fellowship. Moreover, she will represent LACO in the broader national arts and culture sector.
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One of the highlights of Downes’ debut season with LACO in 2024-25 includes her mainstage performance of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto under Martín’s leadership. Additionally, she will curate “CURRENT: Routes,” part of a two-program initiative exploring unexpected musical intersections across America.
“Routes follows the highways and byways of American music, making surprising roadside discoveries and detours to the crossroads where musical traditions merge and transform. We’ll explore the roots of the folk tunes that Aaron Copland used to paint his vibrant portraits of the Wild West; connect with the rural San Gabriel Valley childhood of American maverick Roy Harris; and trace the routes of the Great Migration in the music of William Grant Still, who started his American journey in Jim Crow Mississippi and ended it in the bohemian, granola glam of 1970s Los Angeles,” Lara Downes described, offering a vivid glimpse of her innovative approach.
For more information about LACO and their upcoming programs, visit www.laco.org or call 213-221-3920. For more info on Lara Downes, click HERE
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