Lara Downes : NPR

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Tyshawn Sorey's powerful sounds of silence

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October 21, 2025 • The composer, multi-instrumentalist and MacArthur "genius" fellow, deftly straddles the classical and jazz realms while unleashing the power of spaces between the notes.

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Questlove is charting the history of America through its music

Classical California KDFC

August 22, 2025 • The Roots drummer and Oscar-winning filmmaker uncovers the connections between his recent Sly Stone documentary and his own life story.

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Chef Kenji López-Alt serves up a nourishing recipe of food and music

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July 31, 2025 • The renowned chef, New York Times food writer and YouTube sensation has a penchant for combining meals and music.

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Summoning the ancestors with harpist Brandee Younger

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June 30, 2025 • Lara Downes sits down with the brilliant jazz harpist to discuss the power of female lineage in the worlds of jazz and classical music.

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May 28, 2025 • The MacArthur fellow sits down with Lara Downes at the Big Ears Festival to discuss the creative states of improvising, composing and collaborating.

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Yola's simple, radical act of walking through her life

Classical California KDFC

April 25, 2025 • The big-voiced, unapologetically frank singer-songwriter refuses to be boxed in by genres, and finds joy in the full expression of self.

Composer Carlos Simon carries his ancestors with him

Classical California KDFC

March 25, 2025 • The rising composer talks about the influence of the church on his music and the premiere of his Good News Mass at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

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Tarriona 'Tank' Ball unleashes the radical power of joy

Classical California KDFC

January 30, 2025 • The Tank and the Bangas frontwoman talks about the strength and versatility of her words — alone and within her music.

Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963

Martin Luther King waves to supporters on Aug. 28, 1963, on the Mall in Washington, D.C., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Many musicians, including Marian Anderson, Mahalia Jackson, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Odetta and The Freedom Singers were also at the march. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Opinion

Music

Daring to Dream: A reflection on America

Classical California KDFC

January 15, 2025 • In celebration of what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 96th birthday, pianist Lara Downes examines how musicians have followed in his footsteps, and faced the cost of taking a stand.

Jon Batiste traces the blues back to Beethoven and beyond

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Jon Batiste traces the blues back to Beethoven and beyond

Classical California KDFC

December 5, 2024 • The Grammy winner and former Late Show bandleader unravels the crisscrossing threads of musical lineage from Beethoven's own personal blues to the musical art form that undergirds Batiste's Louisiana roots.

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Opera star Denyce Graves’ global compassion in red, white and blue

Classical California KDFC

October 31, 2024 • Whether she’s singing in the world’s great opera houses, the White House or in prisons, the celebrated mezzo-soprano and U.S. Global Music Ambassador understands how music can move people.

Classical music producer Adam Abeshouse was diagnosed with bile duct cancer last spring. His clients — including Simone Dinnerstein, Jeremy Denk, Joshua Bell and Lara Downes — organized a concert at his home studio to bid farewell. Rick Marino/Abeshouse Productions hide caption

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Obituaries

Powerhouse classical music producer Adam Abeshouse dies at 63

October 10, 2024 • Over a career that lasted more than 30 years, Grammy-winner Adam Abeshouse made hundreds of records with some of classical music’s biggest stars.

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Culture

A beloved music producer is dying. His clients came to his home for a farewell concert

October 2, 2024 • Adam Abeshouse was diagnosed with bile duct cancer last spring. His star classical music clients, including Joshua Bell, Simone Dinnerstein, Jeremy Denk, and Lara Downes, wanted to say goodbye.

ADAM ABESHOUSE'S ALL-STAR FAREWELL CONCERT

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Words, sounds and the art of listening with Aja Monet

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September 27, 2024 • The self-described “surreal blues poet” savors the significance of words and the noisy poetry of city life.

Conductor Jonathon Heyward is breaking barriers

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Conductor Jonathon Heyward is breaking barriers

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August 29, 2024 • As music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Heyward is the youngest to lead a major American orchestra and the first Black music director in the organization’s 107-year history.

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Countertenor John Holiday isn't trying to make you love him

Classical California KDFC

June 27, 2024 • The versatile singer, who emphasizes self-acceptance, says his mission is to be a bridge from the classical community to pop, jazz and R&B. And if you’re not a fan, that’s okay.

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Brittney Spencer brings her culture to country music

Classical California KDFC

May 30, 2024 • The rising young singer-songwriter, who tours with Willie Nelson and sings on Beyoncé's latest album, is making a name for herself in a new era of more inclusive country music.

Moments of Enlightenment with Broadway's Brian Stokes Mitchell

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Moments of Enlightenment with Broadway's Brian Stokes Mitchell

Classical California KUSC

April 25, 2024 • The acclaimed singer and actor explains how the arts have that rare ability to change minds, give hope and connect people.

George Gershwin, photographed in his 72nd Street apartment in New York in 1934. His Rhapsody in Blue premiered 100 years ago on Feb. 12, 1924. PhotoQuest / Contributor/Getty Images hide caption

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Music News

'Rhapsody in Blue': After a century, Gershwin's musical melting pot still resonates

February 12, 2024 • On Feb. 12, 1924, a sassy fusion of jazz and classical music debuted in New York, sparking a mutual exchange of ideas still debated today.

'Rhapsody in Blue': After a century, Gershwin's musical melting pot still resonates

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