Lara Downes is among the foremost American pianists of her generation, a trailblazer on and off-stage whose musical roadmap seeks inspiration from the legacies of history, family, and collective memory.
Join Downes in the world premiere of Quiet Streets, a virtual piano concerto by composer Elena Ruehr. Recorded in Jackson Hall in October 2020, the piece is an ode to our silenced cities during the time of shelter in place, capturing the unexpected beauty and tranquil melancholy of a deserted cityscape.
The piece is performed live by Downes as piano soloist, accompanied by a virtual string orchestra pre-recorded in Surround Sound, and a saxophone heard playing a lonely nocturnal ballad from a fire escape high above the quiet streets.
The evening will also feature selection from Shelter, a suite of pieces Downes recorded in her home during quarantine.
Paul Simon (arr. Noah Luna) America
Florence Price Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Deep River
Daniel Gilliam Body At Rest
Margaret Bonds Tangamerican
Michael Shapiro Tending
Leonard Bernstein Lucky To Be Me
Elena Ruehr Quiet Streets
Scott Joplin Solace