At 78, Composer Karen LeFrak Is Having a Breakout Moment—Thanks to David Foster

From a living room audition to 60 million streams, LeFrak’s orchestral album American Promise is now part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, May 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — At 78, Composer Karen LeFrak Is Having a Breakout Moment—Thanks to David Foster
From a living room audition to 60 million streams, LeFrak’s orchestral album American Promise is now part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration

Most music careers slowdown in your 70s. Karen LeFrak’s is just getting started. At 78, the New York–based composer is hitting a new creative peak—with over 60 million streams, a major orchestral release, and performances across the country—all sparked by an unexpected moment with 16-time Grammy winner David Foster.
Back in 2019, Foster stopped by LeFrak’s home while working on his piano album, Eleven Words. LeFrak, who has composed classical music all her life, mostly for her enjoyment, played Foster a few original pieces. His reaction? Immediate. He saw an audience. His team moved quickly, and by age 70, LeFrak had landed her first distribution deal—launching a career chapter most artists never get.

Now, LeFrak’s 20th studio album, American Promise, is making noise far beyond the classical world. Recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios with arranger/conductor William Ross and released via Naxos, the sweeping orchestral project is part of America250’s official “America’s Soundtrack”—a national music initiative marking the country’s 250th anniversary. The album came about when the National Symphony Orchestra asked LeFrak to write a piece for them celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Today, LeFrak releases a video to an abbreviated 4-minute version of the 8.5-minute track with actor Keith David reciting memorable lines from the Declaration of Independence. For a look at the video click here: https://youtu.be/4tBN9cp4juk
The album plays like a film score for the American experience: Think big emotion, cinematic scale, and a distinctly American story.

• American Promise — a bold, four-part orchestral journey built around a “freedom” motif
• Lady Liberty Suite — from first arrival to the pulse of New York to the promise of a new life
• Prairie Dawn — a quiet, reflective finale grounded in gratitude and resilience
It’s sweeping, hopeful, and unapologetically emotional, designed to resonate far beyond the concert hall.
The project is already hitting major stages. Over 60 radio stations are playing American Promise around the world, The New York Public Library will be playing American Promise at their display of Thomas Jefferson’s hand written copy of the Declaration of Independence, and following its world premiere with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, America Promise is rolling out nationwide, with performances by The National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., Tucson Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Evanston Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA, among others.

For LeFrak, the moment is bigger than music, “This piece reflects freedom, celebration, and the beauty of the country we share,” she says. But her story carries another message: creative breakthroughs don’t have an expiration date. Karen LeFrak isn’t just releasing another classical album—she’s rewriting the timeline of what a music career can look like.
At 78, she’s not winding down. LeFrak just finished her 21st album of solo piano pieces that will be out June 19th. The first single, Always, from that album is out now. Ballets featuring other works of Karen’s are scheduled in Nashville and Ravenna.
Says LeFrak of her late success, “I’ve been composing music all my life and really it was all for the grandchildren I knew I would have one day, so they would know I have a voice. Now they know that voice can come at any age.”
Listen to the 8.5-minute version of American Promise here: https://samply.app/p/3dL46wXYw1v5nCaCNEc1?si=aqIYxl2htYbpxcbnl1HlAtwIC9L2

ABOUT KAREN LEFRAK
A native New Yorker, Karen LeFrak is a prolific and versatile composer and author whose vibrant musical works have been performed in prestigious concert halls around the world. Her career includes 21studio albums with more than 60 million global streams, a catalog of over 300 compositions, and performances by leading institutions including the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Ballet, and Mariinsky Ballet. In addition to her work as a composer, LeFrak is an acclaimed children’s book author, with titles published by Bloomsbury, and Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House.

Kimberly M Jakwerth
KMJPR
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abridged version of American Promise

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