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KMFA CLASSICAL 89.5 PRESENTS

The Declaration Project with Lara Downes

Reflections on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

KMFA Classical 89.5 invites you to be part of a nationwide artistic journey toward the heart of the American spirit.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, renowned pianist and cultural visionary Lara Downes is gathering voices from across the country to reimagine our nation’s founding ideals—Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—through the power of the arts.

The Declaration Project is a national call to artists, creators, dreamers, and doers of all backgrounds and ages. Through music, poetry, dance, spoken word, visual art, or any expressive medium, we want to hear your personal reflection on what these ideals mean to you today—and what they could mean for the American future.

This is your chance to move beyond the textbook and make these words your own:

• What does Life look like from your perspective?

• How does Liberty shape your daily experience?

• Where do you find or fight for the Pursuit of Happiness in your community?

Your submission will join a growing national digital collection, a living collection of contemporary reflections on the American promise. Selected works will also be featured in a video installation premiering in New York City in July 2026, as part of Lara Downes' groundbreaking multimedia concert DECLARATION, featuring new orchestral works by Valerie Coleman, Arturo O’Farrill, and Christopher Tin.

How to Participate

We’re collecting submissions through our Declaration Project Portal.
Click the link below to share your artistic impression:

Submit Your Reflection

All forms of expression are welcome:
🎵 Music • 📜 Poetry • 💃 Dance • 🎙️ Spoken Word • 🎨 Visual Art • and more

This is a moment for Austin’s voices to be heard on a national stage. Let’s show the country the power, creativity, and diversity of our community’s vision for the future.

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Join us for a special opportunity to meet renowned pianist and cultural advocate Lara Downes and learn more about The Declaration Project on Tuesday, June 17 at 2:00 PM in the Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA. This inspiring event will feature live performances by Golden Hornet’s Young Composers and vocalists from Local Opera Local Artists (LOLA), offering powerful artistic reflections on the themes of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The program will also include a visual presentation by KMFA Board Member Emeritus Nancy Scanlan, a former professional photographer, who will share powerful images from her personal collection that explore these ideals through the lens of everyday American life. Admission is free with RSVP—join us and be part of a national movement to reimagine our shared future through creativity and community.

The Declaration project is supported by the Tejemos Foundation and Drs. Lou Ann and Bill Lasher as part of KMFA’s Draylen Mason Composer-in-Residence program.

EVENT DETAILS

What: The Declaration Project Launch Presentation and Performance
When: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | 2:00 PM
Where: Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA, 41 Navasota St., Austin, TX
Who: Lara Downes, Golden Hornet Young Composers, LOLA, and others

Admission: FREE and open to the public when you RSVP in advance.

RSVP FOR FREE

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Questions?

Reach out to us at gdelgado@kmfa.org for more information or guidance on how to submit.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, June 17
• Time: 2:00 p.m.
• Venue: Draylen Mason Music Studio
• Website: http://thedeclarationproject.org/

Ticket Information

• Cost: Free with RSVP

Presenter Details

• Name: Lara Downes

A visionary trailblazer, Lara occupies a unique position of visibility through her dynamic work as a sought-after soloist, a Billboard Chart-topping recording artist, and a beloved NPR personality as host of her popular video show Amplify with Lara Downes. She has garnered millions of fans spanning diverse communities: her devoted NPR viewers and 100,000+ weekly listeners to her nationally syndicated radio programs intersect with her live concert audiences and her followers on streaming platforms to form a broad and constantly expanding fan base. 

Lara’s musical roadmap seeks inspiration from the legacies of history, family, and collective memory, excavating a broad landscape of  music to create a series of acclaimed performance and recording projects that serve as gathering spaces for her listeners to find common ground and shared experience. In the words of the renowned American conductor JoAnn Falletta, “Lara Downes is a perfect artist for our time, a champion of new and neglected music, an extraordinary communicator, a passionate advocate for our art form.” 

Venue Details