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Pianist/Activist Lara Downes releases video of Bernstein's “Take Care of this House” for National Voter Registration Day, September 22, 2020
| The performance features a diverse and multi-generational collection of leading American artists and activists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Judy Collins, Rhiannon Giddens, Thomas Hampson, Magos Herrera, Shereen Pimentel, Anthony McGill, Lawrence Brownlee, members of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and more. |
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| The video was conceived as a rallying cry for civil liberties at this critical moment in history, with the goal of driving voter participation and support for the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. |
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For immediate release – On September 22, in honor of National Voter Registration Day, pianist and activist Lara Downes is releasing a video of Leonard Bernstein’s song “Take Care of This House,” from the musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The performance features a diverse and multi-generational collection of leading American artists and activists coming together to perform this song as a rallying cry for civil liberties at this critical moment in history. The video includes Yo-Yo Ma, Judy Collins, Rhiannon Giddens, opera greats Thomas Hampson, Angel Blue, Isabel Leonard, Ailyn Pérez and Lawrence Brownlee, Mexican-American jazz diva Magos Herrera, Shereen Pimentel, who stars as Maria in the new Broadway production of Bernstein’s West Side Story, and young musicians from the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and NPR’s From the Top.
Downes, who also produced and directed the video, conceived the project as a way to help drive voter participation, as well as raise awareness and support for the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.
Downes says of the video: “This year of disruption and division has kept artists offstage and off the road. But even from here at home, we can reach out to join forces and offer our music where it matters the most. I’ve looked to Leonard Bernstein throughout my career as the model of a true artist/citizen, a musician who always showed up and spoke up, in good times and bad. He gave us so much inspiration, including this perfect song that speaks to our American past, present and future in such a powerful way. So here we are, from our homes to yours, pledging to take care of this house together. It’s the hope of us all.”
The project embodies Bernstein’s history of fusing art and activism, and continues Downes’ longstanding connection to the composer, most recently through her Sony Masterworks album For Lenny.
Performers (in order of appearance)
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Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Lara Downes, piano
Maya Chatterjee, voice
Thomas Hampson, voice
Angel Blue, voice
Shereen Pimentel, voice
Davóne Tines, voice
Anthony Roth Costanzo, voice
Julia Bullock, voice
J’Nai Bridges, voice
Brian Jagde, voice
Rhiannon Giddens, voice
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Conor Padmanabhan, guitar
Ifetayo Ali-Landing, cello
Lawrence Brownlee, voice
Isabel Leonard, voice
Magos Herrera, voice
Charles Yang, voice and violin
Soloman Howard, voice
Ailyn Perez, voice
Members of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Judy Collins, musician and activist
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Pianist Lara Downes is an iconoclast whose musical roadmap seeks inspiration from the legacies of history, family, and collective memory. Hailed as “a trailblazing pianist who combines exquisite musicality with an acute awareness of how an artist can make a positive and lasting social impact” by The Piano Magazine, Lara is recognized as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene.
Her forays into the broad landscape of American music have created a series of acclaimed recordings that serve as gathering spaces for her listeners to find common ground and shared experience. Some Of These Days, an eclectic collection of reimagined freedom songs released in April 2020, was called “one of the year’s most important recordings” by Glide Magazine and “a musical ray of hope” by NBC News. America Again was selected by NPR Music as one of "10 Albums that Saved 2016," and hailed as "a balm for a country riven by disunion" by the Boston Globe.
Downes’ performance projects feature collaborations with leading artists including Judy Collins, Thomas Hampson, Rhiannon Giddens, Toshi Reagon, Leyla McCalla, Theo Bleckmann, Simone Dinnerstein, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove. Her creative partnerships have produced commissions from composers Paola Prestini, Clarice Assad, Timo Andres and Carlos Simon, among many others. This season features appearances with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Ravinia Festival, Louisville Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Cabrillo Festival, the Van Cliburn Concert Series and Performance Santa Fe.
Lara’s fierce commitment to arts activism and advocacy sees her working in support of organizations including the Sphinx Organization, the Lower Eastside Girls Club, Watts Learning Center, and NPR’s From the Top. She is an Artist Ambassador for Headcount, a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy.
Lara is the producer and host of the NPR Music video series Amplify, launching in October.
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