Since the beginning of her musical career, Carla Lother has blended diverse elements and experiences into a distinctive, cohesive whole. A classically trained pianist, singer, and flutist, Lother also incorporates pop, rock, and folk into her style. Her interest and ability in music stretches back to her early childhood: she won her first piano competition at six, and went on to win first prize in 1978's Concourse de Musique du Canada as well as a Canadian Outstanding Artist Award in 1987. In all, Lother has won more than 60 awards in her different disciplines. Her formal training includes studies at the University of Manitoba, the Banff School of Fine Arts, Juilliard, and the Mannes College of Music, where she obtained a master's degree in piano performance and a Professional Studies diploma in voice. Her family's deep affection for music complemented Lother's studies; her mother was a pianist and her father a vocalist, so the Lother house listened to a musical mix that included German lieder, cabaret tunes, and Neil Diamond. Lother also joined her brother's rock band, covering artists like the Police, Led Zeppelin, and Todd Rundgren. This diverse mix of training and influences served Lother well in her career; several of the bands Lother played with in New York included associates of Luscious Jackson and Philip Glass. Along with her recording career, which includes her solo debut album Ephemera, as well as film and commercial work, Lother also performs international concert dates and directs musical theater for ASPIRA's Project Enhance, which teams professional musicians with at-risk students in New York City's South Bronx. ~ Heather Phares