NEWSLETTER
Saratoga Performing Arts Center Partners with Skidmore College to Present Pianist and NPR AMPLIFY Host LARA DOWNES Celebrating works by underrepresented American composers, including Florence Price, Scott Joplin, and Billie Holiday
A trailblazing pianist who combines exquisite musicality with an acute awareness of how an artist can make a positive and lasting social impact. -- The Piano Magazine
An explorer whose imagination is fired by bringing notice to the underrepresented and forgotten. – The Log Journal
Saratoga Springs, NY (March 8, 2022) – Saratoga Performing Arts Center announces that it has partnered with Skidmore College to present trailblazing pianist, speaker and activist, Lara Downes for a special appearance on April 14, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arthur Zankel Music Center. Downes’ performance explores the landscape of American music from George Gershwin and Morton Gould to Billie Holiday, Scott Joplin, and Florence Price, giving voice to underrepresented and forgotten artists alongside their contemporaries.
“We are delighted to welcome Lara to Saratoga for her unique program which spotlights composers who have been underrepresented for far too long. Through her revelatory interpretations and contemporary lens, she invites classical music lovers and newcomers alike to discover these works in a completely unique and refreshing way,” said Elizabeth Sobol, President & CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “We are grateful to Skidmore for partnering with SPAC for this special program which serves as a great introduction to Lara’s work in advance of her appearance with the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC this August.”
An iconoclast and trailblazer, her dynamic work as a sought-after performer, a Billboard Chart-topping recording artist, a producer, curator, activist, and arts advocate positions her as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene. Downes also hosts “AMPLIFY,” an NPR video series that features intimate conversations between BIPOC artists who are shaping the identity of a new era with bold vision, powerful mission and the inspiring energy of a transformative time.
In addition to her performance on April 14, Downes will lead a piano masterclass for music majors at Skidmore on April 13, 2022, at 5:30pm. Students enrolled in the music program will have the opportunity to participate in a workshop and be mentored by the pianist. “What a thrill for our students to witness Lara’s great artistry and experience a one-of-kind program in our beautiful performance space. And, how lucky for them to also participate in a masterclass with her,” said Evan Mack, professor of music at Skidmore College.
Tickets for the April 14 performance are $30 for general admission and $10 for all collegiate students and faculty with valid school ID. Skidmore students enrolled in the music program will have free admission. This performance is a part of Skidmore’s Filene Anniversary Concert Series. Skidmore College strongly encourages guests to be fully vaccinated and masked when attending a performance in the Arthur Zankel Music Center. For tickets or more information click HERE or visit spac.org.
Downes will return to Saratoga on August 4, 2022 for her SPAC debut, where she’ll perform two premieres: The Strayhorn Concerto and Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement. For more information about those performances visit the SPAC website.
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Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious summer festivals. Its tranquil setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws vacation crowds and arts connoisseurs each year for immersive experiences of performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, Opera Saratoga, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts CulinaryArts@SPAC events in addition to imaginative programming such as the popular “SPAC on Stage” series and Caffè Lena @ SPAC.
SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s children’s education programs and support the vibrancy of its classical season. For more information visit spac.org.
Skidmore College
The Arthur Zankel Music Center at Skidmore College opened in 2010 as a hub of musical activity for the Skidmore College campus and surrounding communities. With more than 54,000 square feet of teaching, practice, performance and administrative space this non-profit venue welcomes almost 25,000 guests each year. The 600-seat, acoustically tuned Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall, within Zankel, has drawn sold out crowds and featured performances by many internationally-renowned artists including Emanuel Ax, John Baptiste, Dave Brubeck, Ani Difranco, Havana Lyceum Orchestra, Indigo Girls, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Paul Simon, Gloria Steinem, Manhattan Transfer, Taiko Project, and the Ying Quartet, as well as hosted the NPR radio programs Selected Shorts and The Moth.
Skidmore is a highly ranked, residential, liberal arts college situated on 1,000 acres of natural beauty in Saratoga Springs, New York.With 2,500 students from 40 states and 70 countries, 43 majors, more than 100 student clubs, funded research and internship opportunities, and 118 study abroad programs, it offers a dynamic college experience.
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