Iris Music Project began in 2016 at Charles E. Smith Life Communities in Rockville, Maryland, with cellist and founder Lauren Latessa.
What began as a single music residency grew into the Iris Piano Trio and an ongoing model of creative exchange between professional musicians and older adults. Incorporated as a nonprofit in 2019, Iris has since expanded to 13 senior living and healthcare communities across four states, contracting 27 professional musicians to bring this work to the communities each year.
The name Iris Music Project reflects two sources of inspiration. Chosen by founding violinist Sara Matayoshi, it draws from Greek mythology, where Iris is the personification of the rainbow and a messenger who connects heaven and earth. That image captures Iris’ belief in music’s power to bridge people and experiences, creating moments of meaning, and transcendence.
The name also alludes to the gardens of Hope Farm in Miamiville, Ohio, the dream of founder Lauren Latessa’s mother, Patricia Latessa. Patricia, or “Ersa,” as she was known by close friends and family, lived with cancer for twenty-four years. Despite this, Ersa and her husband Bob built Hope Farm into a place of beauty, peace, and happiness. The iris flower is a tribute to Ersa, who died in 2020, and to the beauty she nurtured throughout her life.
Today, the meaning of Iris extends beyond these origins. It carries Ersa’s story while reflecting a universal truth: loss, uncertainty, illness, caregiving, and grief are part of the human experience and no one is untouched by them. Iris embodies a belief that music helps us all thrive in our daily lives, even when what lies ahead is unknown.
And the story of Iris continues to be shaped by every person who becomes part of it—musicians, residents, families, board members, supporters, and partners—each bringing their own perspectives and creative magic to the work.