From February 2, 2023 In collaboration with Classical California (KUSC Los Angeles and KDFC San Francisco), NPR Music and Visuals and Lara Downs Lara Downs and Amplifya series of intimate and deeply personal video conversations with visionary black artists and cultural leaders who are shaping our creative present and future. Begins with young jazz sensation Samara Joy, Grammy nominee and winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition on NPRMusic.org, YouTube, and social media platforms.
Elena Harone
Created and hosted by pianist and recording artist Lara Downes and produced by NPR Music and Visuals, the series is a candid and heartfelt tribute to how artists are leading the way into a new era of cultural renaissance. Invite your audience to experience an intimate conversation.
This season’s guests include composer Terrence Blanchard, comic book W. Kamau Bell, James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwachi, and National Book Award-winning poet Robin Coste Ruiz. , linguist and author John McWhorter, pianist Gerald Clayton, multidisciplinary artist Samora Pinderhughes, and conductor Jonathan. Hayward.
These video encounters clearly represent “a new pinnacle of diversity and fluidity in American art and culture,” says Downes. “One-on-one conversations with visionary cultural leaders who are playing a pivotal role in defining a new era with their bold visions, powerful missions and transformative energy. ‘ she adds.
“These are the right conversations at the right time,” says NPR Music producer Tom Huizenga. “Lara’s laid-back yet exploratory approach elicits personal and meaningful reflection from guests, and the opportunity to work with Classical California makes this a very special project.” Classical California James Muhammad, president of I am delighted to be able to participate.”
About Lara Downs
Pianist Lara Downs is an “explorer who stirs the imagination by bringing attention to underappreciated and forgotten peoples” (log journal). Iconoclast, trailblazer and popular performer, Billboard Her chart-topping her recordings Her dynamic work as an artist, producer, curator, activist and art advocate has made her a national Art positions her as a cultural visionary on the scene.
Drawing inspiration from the heritage of history, family and collective memory, Downes’ musical roadmap unearths a broad landscape of music to serve as a gathering place for her listeners to find common ground and shared experiences. create a series of critically acclaimed performance and recording projects. Her recent and upcoming stage adventures include guest appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia Festival, Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Brevard Music Center, Her performances in Washington include recitals and residencies. art, and many more. She was recently named Performance Today’s 2022 Classic Woman of the Year.
Downes is a resident artist andLara Downs night musicHer work has received support from the Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Sphinx Organization, Classic Recording Foundation Awards, Center for Cultural Innovation, and others. Working with organizations such as Feeding America, ACLU, Lower Eastside Girls Club, Sphinx Organization and Watts Learning Center, she is an artist at her Headcount, a bipartisan organization that uses the power of her music to enroll voters. is her ambassador. She promotes participation in democracy.
Downes Rising Sun songis a label dedicated to the first recordings of music by black composers from the 18th century to the present day.
her next solo album, love at lastwill be released on the Pentatone label in April 2023.
www.LaraDownes.com
About NPR Music
For over 15 years, NPR Music’s strong music journalism and award-winning original video programs have entertained millions of music fans of all genres. NPR Music collaborates with NPR’s news magazines, public radio member stations, and dedicated listener communities to celebrate great music and discover emerging artists. Visit NPRMusic.org to find the complete Tiny Desk concert series, music features, extensive archive of performances, interviews and music reviews. Connect with NPR Music on Facebook, twitterand Instagram.
About Classic California
Classical California is America’s most-listened network of classical music radio stations, serving more than 800,000 listeners each week. Located in downtown Los Angeles, KUSC serves communities throughout Southern California, with 91.5FM in Los Angeles and Orange County, 88.5FM in Palm Springs, 91.1FM in Thousand Oaks, 93.7FM in Santa Barbara, and 99.7FM in San Luis. It airs on Obispo. Located in downtown San Francisco, KDFC serves the Bay Area and other communities in Northern California with 90.3FM in San Francisco, 104.9FM in San Jose, 89.9FM in Napa Wine Country, 103.9FM in Monterey, California. is broadcast on 92.5FM. Ukiah. Listeners can also listen to these stations stream on kusc.org, kdfc.com, and smartphone apps. Classical California also offers a variety of digital content and community events. For more information, visit classiccalifornia.org. Classical California’s mission is to positively impact individuals and communities by championing the power of classical music.
Lara Downs and Amplify
On NPRMusic.org, YouTube and Social Media Platforms
First guest schedule
-February 1st place, Samara Joy (Grammy nominee, Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition)
・March 1 Jesse Montgomery (composer enrolled in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
・April 5th Samora Pinderhughes (singer, songwriter, interdisciplinary artist)
– May 3, John McWhirter (Linguist, Author)
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media contacts
For NPR Music: Yanius Alvarado Matos/ NPR Music Media relations/mediarelations@npr.org
For Lara Downs: Lisa Jaehnig / Shuman Associates / ljaehnig@shumanassociates.net
Added from Lara
Lara Downs and AMPLIFY Premiered as an NPR video series in October 2020, it captures an artist’s experience in a time of chaotic upheaval and shift, locked down by a global pandemic and caught up in a national riot of racial reckoning. . Leading black artists such as John Baptiste, Rhiannon Giddens and Wynton Marsalis explore their inner thoughts and artistic responses to unprecedented challenges and unexpected awakenings in a series of conversations that amaze with their immediacy and intimacy. clarified.
Now, in Season 3 of this groundbreaking series, pianist Lara Downs collaborates with a visionary artistic innovator to share her perspective on creative work in a new American era. As the art world undergoes a fundamental shift, Downes’ guests pave the way for the Renaissance era, telling new stories, uncovering lost histories, shattering the boundaries of genre and tradition, and discovering this her 21 Embracing the rich and full artistic potential of the century. .
This season’s guests include jazz sensation Samara Joy, composers Terrence Blanchard and Jesse Montgomery (Musical America 2022 Composers of the Year), comics W. Kamau Bell and poet Robin. Includes Coste Ruiz, chef Kwame Onwauchi, composer/pianist Samora Pinderhughes, and author John McWhorter. , and other musicians, writers and thinkers at the forefront of cultural expansion and evolution.