Henry Mancini: Wider Than a Mile

Wider Than A Mile is a unique tribute to Henry Mancini, celebrating the music of one of the greatest composers in the history of film with a program that traces his journey from his beginnings as a pianist and flutist exploring and reimagining the classical repertoire. For Henry, "taking apart a Chopin mazurka or Schumann sonata helped him see...how the puzzle of form, meter, melody, harmony, and counterpoint had been solved by previous composers." 

Winner of twenty Grammy Awards and four Academy Awards, Mancini had deep roots and a deep love of symphonic and chamber music. This project positions his work, via new chamber ensemble arrangements for LACO and pianist Lara Downes, alongside repertoire that illustrates his relationship to the founding generation of film composers - European emigrés like Ernst Krenek, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Miklós Rózsa, an origin story to 19th century Romanticism and the transformations of 20th century migrations.

The project also highlights Henry Mancini’s status within the lineage of iconic American musicians like Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, who represent the classical/jazz/film music continuum that defines American culture and is an essential part of  LACO’s own musical identity. 

This project, supported by the Mancini estate, holds tremendous appeal for a wide and multigenerational audience, inviting mature listeners for whom this music offers a sense of affectionate nostalgia, and bringing the music of Hollywood’s Golden Age to new listeners via a KUSC/Classical California podcast produced and hosted by pianist and radio presenter Lara Downes.

Invention, Jazz & Spoken Word Collide

Christian Sands, Piano
Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Spoken Word Artist
Lara Downes, Curator + Piano

In a vibrant collision of eras and art forms, pianist and curator Lara Downes is joined by acclaimed jazz pianist Christian Sands, LACO’s string trio, and celebrated spoken-word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph for a reimagining of Bach.

Selections from Bach’s Sinfonias and Inventions—two- and three-part masterpieces built on interweaving musical voices—become the foundation for an electrifying live conversation. Sands and the musicians transform Bach’s intricate architecture through improvisation, syncopation, and rhythmic freedom, while Joseph responds in real time—shaping language, cadence, and poetic impulse from the beat, texture, and emotional charge of the music itself.

Other potential accompanying engagements:

• Poetry Slam hosted by Marc Bamuthi Joseph featuring local poets.

• Post-Concert Discussion where Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Lara Downes, and Christian Sands discuss and demonstrate how improvisation shaped the concert and discuss the intersections between composition, improvisation and creativity.