Happy New Year From Lara Downes

Lara Downes

(Jiyang Chen)

Where I've been...

This was a hard year, in America and in the world, and I was so grateful to be making music that remembers the better angels of our nature. Celebrating the humanitarian legacy of Leonard Bernstein during his centennial year, traveling the road of American history through song with Thomas Hampson, playing music of peace and protest with my young friends on the steps of the Los Angeles City Hall at the March For Our Lives, and as always bringing music out into the communities and classrooms where it can open ears and minds and hearts - 2018 gave me precious moments of connection on the common ground we find through our music.

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Where I'm going... "I want music that makes holes in the sky" That beautiful quote from the artist Georgia O'Keeffe is the inspiration behind my newest project - a multi-generational, genre-fluid, massively collaborative celebration of phenomenal women past, present and future. It's a dream come true to work with this incredible team of women who are bold and badass and inspire me to the moon and back - Judy Collins, Rhiannon Giddens, Paola Prestini, Meredith Monk, Rachel Barton Pine, Simone Dinnerstein... The album comes out on Sony Masterworks in February. Join the Sky Club HERE for early tracks, videos and behind-the-scenes surprises coming very soon! #HolesInTheSky #WomenInMusic #PhenomenalWomen

HOLES IN THE SKY

https://vimeo.com/308715872

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpsPlFVVH90&feature=youtu.be

Many thanks to

My family - the phenomenal women of Holes in the Sky - Julia Torgovitskaya and my team at Cadenza Artists - Bonnie Barrett and Yamaha Artist Services - Sony Masterworks - Lenny's Studio - Adam Abeshouse - Unison Media - Washington Performing Arts - Mondavi Center - Sphinx Organization - David Srebnik - WQXR - SiriusXM - WGBH and Classical.org - Max Horowitz/Crossover Media - Time In Children's Arts Initiative - PLAN International - and all my friends and fans, near and far.

Where you'll find me...

I can't wait for all the adventures that 2019 holds in store, making holes in the sky. You can find my schedule HERE, and I hope to see all of you here and there on my travels. To all of you, my warmest wishes for a very happy New Year! xox