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

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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

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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.

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Moments of Enlightenment with Broadway's Brian Stokes Mitchell

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

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

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'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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Amplify With Lara Downes

The genre-busting world of keyboardist Robert Glasper

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December 12, 2023 • From the storied Blue Note club in New York, the five-time Grammy-winner talks about the diverse audiences his eclectic music attracts and how he's reshaping the idea of musical genres.

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The curious mind — and hard work — of bassist Christian McBride

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November 16, 2023 • The Grammy-winning bassist, bandleader and broadcaster talks about his love for music, family ties in the jazz world, and the thrill of sitting in with Wynton Marsalis as a teenager.

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How Corinne Bailey Rae and Theaster Gates are preserving Black culture

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October 17, 2023 • On her album, Black Rainbows, Bailey Rae was inspired by the art, books and magazines at the Stony Island Arts Bank, a repository for Black history on Chicago's South Side, created by Gates.

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Allison Russell finds transformative musical power in community

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September 11, 2023 • With help from a sisterhood of musicians, the Canadian singer-songwriter and activist has triumphed over trauma to become a distinguished figure on the Americana scene.

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Linguist John McWhorter views American music through a wide lens

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August 3, 2023 • The Columbia University professor and New York Times columnist traces the intersecting lines of race and music in American history.

Remembering André Watts, the American pianist who opened doors of possibility

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Deceptive Cadence

Remembering André Watts, the American pianist who opened doors of possibility

July 17, 2023 • The pianist, who died last week, was an inspiration to a generation of Black and brown musicians who followed in his pioneering footsteps.

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Samora Pinderhughes promotes healing one day at a time

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July 6, 2023 • The multidisciplinary artist addresses systems of oppression by collecting and sharing stories through music, film and visual art.

NPR

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Pianist Gerald Clayton's open-hearted dialog across genres

Classical California KUSC

June 6, 2023 • The thoughtful pianist with a jazz pedigree talks about blurring the boundaries between jazz and classical, the pitfalls of music education, and harmonious rides in elevators.

Chef Kwame Onwuachi wants everyone to have a seat at his table

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Chef Kwame Onwuachi wants everyone to have a seat at his table

Classical California KUSC

May 5, 2023 • Every dish tells a story for the award-winning New York chef, who creates menus inspired by his Nigerian, creole and South Bronx roots.

Pianist Lara Downes heals loss with 'Love At Last'

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Pianist Lara Downes heals loss with 'Love At Last'

April 24, 2023 • Gathering music, new and old, from around the world, the thoughtful pianist finds the core of humanity amid the chaos.

Pianist Lara Downes heals loss with 'Love At Last'

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Tiny Desk

Lara Downes: Tiny Desk Concert

April 21, 2023 • With a piano draped in spring flowers, Lara Downes plays a smart set of music, new and old, that offers the power of renewal.

Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard's unexpected path into the opera house

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Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard's unexpected path into the opera house

Classical California KUSC

April 14, 2023 • The five-time Grammy winner has mounted two operas at the Metropolitan Opera, which until 2021 had never staged a work by a Black composer. Hear him discuss the future of opera with Lara Downes.

Jessie Montgomery, composing from a place of self-honor

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Jessie Montgomery, composing from a place of self-honor

Classical California KUSC

March 1, 2023 • Watch Lara Downes' conversation with the composer-in-residence of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra about balancing her roots, her craft and the shifting field of classical music.

Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

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Amplify With Lara Downes

Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

February 2, 2023 • NPR's Leila Fadel talks to pianist Lara Downes about her interview series Amplify, which examines how Black artists today might find themselves in a new cultural renaissance.

Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

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Jazz singer Samara Joy embraces the past while making music for the future

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Jazz singer Samara Joy embraces the past while making music for the future

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February 2, 2023 • Watch Lara Downes' conversation with the 23-year-old, Grammy-nominated sensation about balancing the demands of a surging career and the women artists who paved the way.

Songs to believe in: A Juneteenth playlist

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The Picture Show

Songs to believe in: A Juneteenth playlist

June 16, 2022 • This Juneteenth, pianist Lara Downes remembers the freedom that has been hard fought and hard won.

Songs to believe in: A Juneteenth playlist

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Pianist Lara Downes re-centers the music of the Great Migration

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Deceptive Cadence

Pianist Lara Downes re-centers the music of the Great Migration

October 20, 2021 • Pianist Lara Downes' latest mini-album traces the story of the Great Migration of Black Americans from the south in the early to mid-20th century, with music by Florence Price and Harry T. Burleigh.

Pianist Lara Downes re-centers the music of the Great Migration

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Your Music Saved My Life: Ledisi Talks With Lara Downes

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Your Music Saved My Life: Ledisi Talks With Lara Downes

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August 28, 2021 • The versatile and impassioned singer was ready to throw in the towel until she heard a message in a Nina Simone song that told her, "You're going be fine. I understand how you feel. Keep going."