CONGRATULATIONS to Stradivari Society recipient of a violin by G. P. Maggini, ca. 1600, TESSA LARK, who was just named a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist. Lark will receive the Hunt Family Award, presented to the Emerging Artist nominated by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
Tessa commented: “I determined only days ago that this Kentucky girl wasn’t equipped to make much of a musical splash in NYC. My ambition is a kind that is creatively and internally driven and is therefore quiet – and it is also a kind that is stubbornly honest to a fault. I cannot pursue a thing unless it feels natural to me, no matter how enticing the carrot may be. But I also MUST pursue a thing if it is honest to me, and that has made my journey quite musically eclectic and confusing to many an institution. …which makes receiving this Emerging Artist Award from the most powerful arts institution in New York City, Lincoln Center, such an incredible surprise. Moreover, to read Lincoln Center’s Ehrenkranz Artistic Director Jane Moss’s words that actually *highlight* some of my quirks just tickles me: ‘Tessa Lark is a brilliant musical force who defies categorization. On and offstage, she conveys expressive warmth and grounded authenticity. She engages effortlessly with audiences.’
“Dear friends–there are countless quotes out there about being yourself/finding your true calling/trusting your gut, etc. that serve as little nuggets of inspiration to be confident in who you are. That’s all great – but the way I see it, remaining true to yourself, no matter the implication that has on your trajectory, is the only way to go. There’s a lot of loneliness, uncertainty and doubt along the honest road, but life has a way of pushing us to our Truth no matter how hard we kick and scream against it, so we may as well embrace it from the start.
“There is no human more captivating than the one whose presence and actions radiate from their truth. And, if you have the resilience to walk with your truth, the rewards will be greater than you can imagine. Thank you, Lincoln Center, for encouraging this Kentucky girl to keep the Kentucky in her no matter where she goes. That means everything to me.”
To find out more, go to http://aboutlincolncenter.org/press-room/release/1213… and tessalark.com.
Photo: Lauren Desberg