Pianist Lara Downes

May 14, 2023

This week on Cultural Manifesto, an hour of words and music with the classical music pianist, and arts activist Lara Downes. She’ll be performing the Florence Price piano concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra later this month.

Downes has become a significant advocate for African American voices in classical music. She’s the host and creator of Amplify, an NPR series that features Downes in conversation with a wide range of Black musicians. She’s also creator and curator of Rising Sun Music, a recording label that focuses on the work of historic and contemporary Black composers.