Post Description

"New Day Begun" features works by Black American composers whose music resounds as a celebration of heritage, a cry for freedom, a call to action, and a promise to the next generation. This collection embraces a reawakening, as we emerge from the darkness of pandemic to craft a new American era.

“Downes reminds us just who we are, a nation of diverse voices and experiences.... On display here — with all its regret, hope and pride — is America." - NPR MUSIC

Inspired by her own mixed-race heritage, which she has explored for decades as a trailblazing interpreter of diverse American musical traditions, Ms. Downes created Rising Sun Music to broaden and enrich the conventional narratives of classical music in the United States and beyond. The composers featured in this eclectic series and album—from musical pioneers to leading voices of today—represent a musical heritage whose story is rarely told on its own terms.

These songs are anthems, deeply rooted in distinct Black histories and struggles. Revisiting and reimagining them now feels like part of a vast effort to reckon with history and redefine the power of change. I’m finding in these songs an opportunity to honor the legacy of the past, while embracing the power of the present and the possibility of the future. I know I’m not alone in feeling a new kind of hope, a new understanding that change only comes because we call it. When millions of us come together—out of isolation, despite pandemic—to march for justice; when we vote, standing in line for as long as it takes; when we focus on our everyday actions, no matter how small; when we lift every voice; we enact change.

Lara Downes, piano
Guests:
Regina Carter, violin
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone
PUBLIQuartet

Njoy!