Lara Downes

American pianist Lara Downes, 2016 laureate of the Sphinx Organization Medal of Excellence, has garnered wide acclaim as one of the most exciting and communicative pianists of today's generation, called "a delightful artist with a unique blend of musicianship and showmanship" by NPR. Born in San Francisco and raised in Europe, Downes'  musical outlook reflects the diversity of her personal heritage and extensive travels, with a wide range of creative projects inspired by music from Bach to Billie Holiday, presented with a unique style that the Huffington Post calls "addicting - with an open, honest heart." Since making debuts at Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Salle Gaveau, Lara has won over audiences on diverse stages ranging from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to Le Poisson Rouge and Zinc Bar. Her recordings have topped the Billboard Charts and have been praised as “luscious, moody and dreamy” by the New York Times and “ravishing” by Fanfare Magazine.  Lara is heard regularly on national radio programs including NPR Music, Sirius XM Symphony Hall, MPR's Performance Today, WNYC's New Sounds, and WFMT’s Impromptu. As a writer, her work has been published in Listen Magazine, The Rumpus, Readers Digest, San Francisco Classical Voice, and other national outlets. She is the producer and host of The Green Room, a radio program about the lives of classical musicians, distributed nationally by the WFMT Radio Network. Ms. Downes is a Steinway Concert and Recording Artist. For more information, please visit laradownes.com