Pianist Lara Downes is a master of styles and genres. She plays in every kind of musical setting: from solo to symphony orchestra, small ensemble to accompanying singing stars. Downes is also a champion of women composers, including Jennifer Higdon, Florence Price, Libby Larsen and Clara Schumann. 

2019 is the 200th anniversary of Schumann’s birth. While Schumann had a significant career of concertizing and teaching, it’s fair to say that her husband Robert, in their time, was much more famous. Downes talks about her recent release showcasing Schumann’s compositions. 

Joining Lara is her son, Simon Downes Toney. He has an upcoming Second Saturday Exhibit at Old Soul Co. on L. Street. His exhibit is comprised of 12 handmade darkroom prints and 8 archival inkjet prints from a summer road trip he took with his father, from Huntsville, Alabama to Sacramento. 

Simon says: “Our drive back to Sacramento, about 4,500 miles, took us two and a half weeks. We drove through small Southern towns, decaying reservations, and across vast empty stretches of desert. These landscapes were new to me, and I documented them in these images, shot with my two film cameras — a Mamiya RZ67 and a Leica M6.”

You can see Simon Downes Toney's photos on display at Old Soul Co. on Oct. 12 from 6 - 8 p.m. Find more information about the event here.