KMFA to Host THE DECLARATION PROJECT Community Showcase on February 22

KMFA Classical 89.5 has announced The Declaration Project Community Showcase on February 22, featuring performances by local artists and organizations inspired by the community's perspectives on America's founding ideals: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

The Declaration Project is a non-partisan, unbiased national arts and humanities initiative meant to promote empathy, community, and unity led by renowned pianist and cultural advocate Lara Downes. In celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, The Declaration Project invites Americans of all ages and backgrounds to reflect on and reinterpret the founding ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness through personal artistic expression.

KMFA will host a special presentation and performance on Sunday, February 22 at 2:00 PM in the Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA. The event will feature remarks and a performance by Lara Downes and include artistic presentations by Austin-based collaborators including Invoke, Conspirare, Austin Symphony Orchestra Brass Ensemble, Sangeeta Kaur, and others. The event is free and open to the public.

KMFA's doors will open at 1:00 PM for a community hour, during which the public can interact with participating organizations and artists and hear performances by the Akins ECHS String Octet, led by its director, Thomas Mann.

The program will showcase 13 different arts partners from Austin, Texas, some of whom will collaborate with pianist Lara Downes in their performances. Performances include:

● Lara Downes, American classical pianist and curator of The Declaration Project.

● Invoke Quartet, Austin's contemporary crossover string quartet, performing a Willie Nelson tune with Lara Downes

● Liz Cass, mezzo-soprano and founder of indie opera company Local Opera Local Artists

● Sandy Yamamoto of Austin Chamber Music Center, collaborating with Lara Downes

● Thomas Mann, Director of Orchestra at Akins Early College High School, and student composer Jude

● Mia Ansel, Golden Hornet Young Composer, presenting original piece August performed by Lara Downes

● Carrie Rodriguez, Austin-based singer-songwriter, presenting her original song Untethered Dream

● A vocal quartet from Conspirare, Austin's Grammy Award-winning choral ensemble

● Dr. Ronnie Wilson and the Huston-Tillotson Choir, performing a movement from Credo

● Austin Symphony Orchestra Brass Ensemble, performing an arrangement of Fanfare for the Common Man

● Sangeeta Kaur, 2022 Grammy-winning Vietnamese American singer, multimedia artist, producer, and modern-day Renaissance woman

● Ventana Ballet, performing an excerpt from Komorebi by Navaji David Nava

● Jasmine Iacullo and Michelle Ko, students from Texas State University's Music Theatre Program, performing selections from Ragtime by Stephen Flaherty

As a co-commissioning partner in The Declaration Project, KMFA is proud to support the creation of three new orchestral works by Grammy Award-winning composers Valerie Coleman, Arturo O'Farrill, and Christopher Tin—three leading American voices whose music explores the pure essence of these elusive and vital ideals. The three works–titled Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness, will be premiered by Lara Downes as part of her multimedia concert DECLARATION in New York City in July 2026, with additional performances planned across the country.

KMFA joins a growing list of distinguished organizations nationwide co-commissioning these new pieces, including Lincoln Center, Big Ears Festival, Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, Philadelphia Orchestra, Meany Center at the University of Washington, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Cal Performances. Together, these institutions are helping to amplify the power of music to ignite national reflection and civic dialogue.

In addition to the community event and national concert commission, KMFA will serve as a local hub for public participation in the project. The station invites artists, students, and community members to submit original works that explore their personal interpretation of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Submissions can take the form of music, poetry, dance, spoken word, visual art, or any creative medium. Selected works will be included in a national digital archive and considered for inclusion in an accompanying video installation premiering alongside the DECLARATION concert.

“As we mark the 250th anniversary of our country with The Declaration Project, KMFA's upcoming community showcase offers a unique range of artistic reflections on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” said George Preston, KMFA CEO and General Manager. “In a nation that has always been dynamic and evolving, what is our current relationship with our founding ideals? I can't wait to see and hear from all of our participants.”

KMFA's Declaration Project Submission Portal is now open. Community members are encouraged to share their artistic visions at kmfa.org/declaration.

As part of her commitment to engaging with the next generation of artists and thinkers, Lara Downes visited Austin's Anderson High School and Akins Early College High School in February 2025 to introduce students to The Declaration Project. Students had the opportunity to perform their own music for Lara, sparking meaningful musical exchange and dialogue. At Akins, a powerful moment of artistic collaboration and encouragement happened when Lara sat down at the piano to perform alongside one of the students.

Downes introduced students to her specially curated playlist by American composers and musicians, featuring a diverse range of voices and genres—from classical to jazz, roots to contemporary. The playlist serves as a source of inspiration for all participants in The Declaration Project, helping them reflect on how American music has historically—and continually—expressed the ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

These school visits are the beginning of a larger wave of community outreach planned during Lara's ongoing engagement with Austin which will expand to include community partners such as Austin Soundwaves, Golden Hornet Young Composers, Westminster Senior Living Community, the YMCA of Greater Austin, and other local leaders and organizations. These interactions are designed to spark intergenerational creative reflection and civic engagement throughout the community.