Hailed for her “luscious, moody, and dreamy” playing by the New York Times, pianist Lara Downes is equally celebrated as a musical innovator and cultural investigator. In this collaboration with Pulitzer-winning poet Rita Dove, she presents a kaleidoscopic evening of music and poetry inspired by myriad stories of migration and transformation.

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This extraordinary program features poems written and performed by Dove, as well as music from a diverse array of composers, including Duke Ellington, Shawn Okpebholo, Angelica Negrón, Florence Price, Carlos Simon, Billy Taylor, William Grant Still, and Kurt Weill.

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November 3, 2021

Sixth and I

Washington, DC

 

February 4, 2024

UNC-Chapel Hill

 

Poetry: Rita Dove

Pianist: Lara Downs

Projection Design: Ian Wallace

Director: Mindy Cooper

 

Read about it here.