Lara Downes

Wynton Marsalis believes the blues is more than a style—it is a way to process life's hardships and reach what he calls "a timeless higher ground." In 2015, Marsalis premiered a work that captures this journey, moving from the depths of sorrow to the vibrant, high-energy rhythms of Afro-Latin dance. In this episode, Cristian Macelaru leads the Minnesota Orchestra in a performance of Marsalis's Blues Symphony.

Away from the unrelenting logistics of travel and performance, Belgian cellist Camille Thomas found sanctuary in Montana’s open skies. During a 2024 residency at the Tippet Rise Art Center, she and pianist Julien Brocal were given the rare freedom to create without the pressure of a production schedule—an experience Thomas described as being on "a planet of its own." On today’s show, we’ll take you to Tippet Rise to hear their intimate arrangement of the Larghetto from Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Although Louise Farrenc was the only woman to hold a permanent position at the Paris Conservatory in the 19th century, her Symphony No. 2 demonstrates that her compositional talent rivaled that of the most renowned male composers of her time. Join us today as Nil Venditti leads the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra in a recent performance of Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2.

After thirty years of performing in the United States, Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto announced a hiatus from all American engagements due to ethical objections to the country's current political leadership. Citing a commitment to peace and equal rights, Kuusisto no longer feels comfortable paying federal taxes that fund government actions he does not support. For now, he remains connected to audiences abroad. In today's episode, we'll take you to a concert in Switzerland to hear Kuusisto and the Basel Sinfonietta perform "The Lark Ascending" by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Join us today to hear Brian Raphael Nabors' orchestral work Upon Daybreak. Inspired by Maya Angelou's poem "A Brave and Startling Truth," Nabors explores the sound of a world free of hatred. ROCO performs this "ode of triumph" in concert on the campus of Rice University in Houston.

Although Louise Farrenc was the only woman to hold a permanent position at the Paris Conservatory in the 19th century, her Symphony No. 2 demonstrates that her compositional talent rivaled that of the most renowned male composers of her time. Join us today as Nil Venditti leads the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra in a recent performance of Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2.

In 2020, Joel Thompson composed a piano work inspired by the words of James Baldwin. The piece reimagines the national anthem to reflect on the gap between American ideals and reality. On today's show, pianist Michelle Cann performs Joel Thompson's My Dungeon Shook at a concert presented by Spivey Hall in Morrow, Georgia.

Violinist James Ehnes says the first movement of Jean Sibelius's Violin Concerto feels like a conversation. It's as if someone is about to divulge something important—they may not know HOW to say it, or even if they WANT to tell you, but they're going to tell you anyway. To Ehnes, it feels like a hesitant yet necessary conversation, as if the music is finally revealing a long-held secret. In today's episode, Thomas Søndergård leads the Minnesota Orchestra, with soloist James Ehnes, in Jean Sibelius's Violin Concerto.

Cellist Alban Gerhardt grew up inspired by the warmth of his mother’s soprano voice, yet he finds his own vocal expression in the strings of his cello. Join us today to hear Gerhardt perform Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s Cello Concerto with the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Delyana Lazarova.

Today, we're highlighting a piece inspired by a composer's experience of moving alone to a new city at age 18, exploring the human ability to adapt. Tune in to hear Danielle Eva Schwob's evocative work Breathing Underwater, performed by members of the Merian Ensemble in Atlanta, Georgia.