“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
July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, founded on the principle that its citizens would be promised the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Iconoclastic pianist Lara Downes examines each of these three core concepts through the lens of our nation’s complicated past and present as she observes this celebration with DECLARATION, a groundbreaking performance and community engagement project for piano soloist, spoken word artist and orchestra, weaving together text and music in a contemporary declaration of our collective hopes, struggles, and untold histories.
This triptych of newly-commissioned works from Valerie Coleman, Arturo O’Farrill and Christopher Tin, respectively titled Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness, are framed by a stirring narration created from writings collected in communities nationwide. In partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and NPR, Declaration gathers a kaleidoscopic array of voices - those born within these borders and those who have made their way here - to reimagine the promise of our American future, 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