“Lara Downes is a uniquely gifted, acclaimed and curious artist who recognizes the complexity of our collective narratives of ourselves and our country in everything she does. This project creates spaces for us to listen in a new way and participate in a shared imagining all led by the belief that we are stronger together.”
DECLARATION
In 2026 we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, founded on the core principles of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Iconoclastic pianist Lara Downes examines these three essential concepts with DECLARATION, a groundbreaking project for piano and orchestra that weaves together music and personal narrative in a contemporary declaration of our collective hopes, struggles, and untold histories. This concert will premiere at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, on July 1, 2026, and will feature new works by Grammy award-winning composers Valerie Coleman, Arturo O'Farrill and Christopher Tin, respectively titled Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness.
An array of major American artists who represent the breadth of our musical landscape join Lara for a revelatory celebration reflecting the shared human experiences and journeys that connect us as Americans, regardless of time and place.
The concert performance is framed by video portraits captured during Lara’s travels across America with THE DECLARATION PROJECT, an invitation across the nation that gathers together American communities to find common ground in reflecting on the magic and mystery of life, the ongoing quest for freedom and equality, and the radical power of joy.
LIFE: by VALERIE COLEMAN
DECLARATION begins with an intimate reflection on the beauty and fragility of life, the shared humanity that connects us, and the potential we hold to protect and cherish one another in intention and action.
(5 minutes - Instrumentation: Solo Piano )
LIBERTY: by ARTURO O’FARRILL
A poignant and buoyant work that travels the long road of American history to acknowledge the courageous struggle for freedom, and to celebrate the progress that has been hard-won across generations as we work to realize the promise of liberty as an unalienable right for all Americans.
(10 minutes - Instrumentation: Piano with Strings, Winds, Brass & Afro-Caribbean percussion)
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: by CHRISTOPHER TIN
A vivacious and audaciously optimistic rhapsody that celebrates the ideals pursued and deserved not just by every American, but by all human beings, regardless of origin or identity.
(20 minutes - Instrumentation: Piano and Full Orchestra)
Valerie Coleman photo: Kia Caldwell - Arturo O’Farrill photo: Sophie Le Roux - Christopher Tin photo: Andy Wilkinson