This episode of Across The Margin : The Podcast features an interview with internationally-acclaimed pianist and cultural visionary Lara Downes. Recently honored as Classical Woman of the Year by NPR’s Performance Today, Lara is a visionary trailblazer who occupies a unique position of visibility through her dynamic work as a sought-after soloist, a Billboard Chart-topping recording artist, beloved NPR personality as creator and host of the video series Amplify with Lara Downes, and host of “Evening Music” on Classical California. In 2024, Lara launched The Declaration Project, a national initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States by gathering together American communities to find common ground in exploring the core essence of our founding promise: the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Recently, Lara releases Hold These Truths, a new album that carries the same larger idea through American music past and present, which features music stretching from before the nation’s founding to works by composers shaping the sound of America now, with each track introduced by reflections Lara gathered on the road. In this episode you can learn about all this, and more.