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“Dear Lara” is a 2026 documentary feature film that exposes decades of sexual abuse and institutional complicity in the classical music world. It tells the stories of students and musicians who have experienced sexual assaults and harassment at some of the world’s top music institutions and addresses the ways in which these institutions all too commonly close ranks to protect sexual predators rather than their victims.

“Dear Lara” is about the all too common phenomenon of students being sexually assaulted by their teachers at classical music conservatories, as well as the institutional failures that often protect predators at the expense of their victims – even at the highest levels of the classical music and opera world.

“Dear Lara” was directed by Lara St. John, an acclaimed classical violinist from Canada who has performed as a soloist with major orchestras around the world. It is her first film as director.

“Dear Lara” was produced by Patrick Hamm, an award-winning independent producer and cinematographer from Germany. Previous films he has produced include “Who I Am Not” (2023), “This Rain Will Never Stop” (2020) and “Freedom for the Wolf” (2017).

“Dear Lara” has a running time of 94 minutes.

Yes. The official trailer for “Dear Lara” is available on YouTube.

Yes. “Dear Lara” is listed on IMDb at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37022669/.

“Dear Lara” had its world premiere on February 6, 2026, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The documentary has subsequently been screened at festivals, cinemas, universities and cultural institutions in the United States, Canada and Europe.

“Dear Lara” had its world premiere on February 6, 2026, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in Santa Barbara, California. Its Canadian premiere was held in Toronto on April 20, 2026. Its European premiere was held at the Cinema d’iDEA festival in Rome on June 19, 2026.

A schedule of upcoming screenings can be found on the film’s website at https://www.dearlara.film/schedule.

The participants and interviewees who appear in “Dear Lara” include musicians, abuse survivors, journalists, arts administrators, legal experts and allies. Key individuals featured in the film include Lara St. John, Scott St. John, Marci Hamilton, Lusiana Lukman, Frank Powdermaker, Lisamarie Vana, Mascha van Sloten, Heather Bird, Anne Midgette, Zeneba Bowers, Katherine Needleman, Samuel Schultz, Sammy Sussman, Peter Dobrin and Okke Westdorp.

Classical music institutions that are cited in “Dear Lara” include the Curtis Institute of Music, the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Michigan, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chetham’s School of Music and the Colburn Conservatory.

“Dear Lara” has won the following awards:

• Courage Award, Cinema d’iDEA (Rome, Italy)
• Best International Documentary, Festival international du film de Bretagne (Brittany International Film Festival, Locronan, France)
• Best First Time Filmmaker, LA Independent Women Film Awards
• Award of Merit, Documentary Feature, The IMPACT DOCS Awards
• Award of Merit, Accolade Global Film Competition

Yes, “Dear Lara” was based on Lara St. John’s personal experience. In 2019, she chose to speak out about the sexual assault she experienced as a 14-year-old student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. After her story was published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, she received numerous letters from fellow survivors and decided she needed to make these voices heard.

St. John says that she did not set out to become a filmmaker but simply decided to make “Dear Lara” because she wanted to tell the truth about her story and those of others like her. Her initial goal was to find closure for herself. As she became aware of the full scale of the problem at hand, she realized she couldn’t walk away from it so quickly.

“Dear Lara” is not yet available for streaming. The film has made broadcast deals in New Zealand, Ireland and Finland, and additional international broadcast arrangements are in progress. In the United States, a theatrical release will begin in early 2027.

Organizations are encouraged to host screenings of “Dear Lara.” Many such screenings have now been scheduled. Inquiries may be directed to Stephen Judson at shj@dearlara.film.

“Dear Lara” is working with the Gatehouse (thegatehouse.org) in Canada and with ChildUSA (childusa.org) in the United States. Marci Hamilton of ChildUSA appears in the film and has served to provide additional legal context and support on the subject of institutional neglect. RAINN (rainn.org) is another US-based organization that does excellent work in fighting sexual violence.

Since its premiere, the film has helped to trigger several real-world developments, particularly in Toronto, where the Royal Conservatory of Music has agreed to commission an investigation into sexual abuses and institutional lapses. The film’s impact campaign is designed to move audiences from awareness toward advocacy, accountability and institutional reform.

Following the Toronto premiere of “Dear Lara” on April 20, 2026, a petition concerning accountability at the Royal Conservatory of Music grew from 36 signatures to more than 1,000 within 24 hours and ultimately surpassed 5,000. On April 28, pianist Jonathan Biss resigned in solidarity from his position at the Royal Conservatory. On May 1, the RCM announced it would commission an independent investigation. Lara St. John and others involved with the film have subsequently called for the investigation’s findings to be made public.

The “Dear Lara” team is working to give audiences, educators, musicians, survivors and institutions practical ways to participate in the conversation about sexual assault and to pursue change.