Weekday speaker series kicks off Sept. 30
8/25/2025 12AM
Presenters in the 2025-2026 Luminaries speaker series are (clockwise from top left) Yuriria Rodriquez, Kevin MacDowell, Kevin Wanzer, Ron Kadish and Lisa Colleen.
Luminaries lineup features music, poetry, history and more
CARMEL, Ind. – Local artists and experts will share their work and insights in the 2025-2026 season of Luminaries, the weekday speaker series presented by Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts.
Luminaries presentations take place 2-3 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of alternative months in the Robert Adam Room of the Payne & Mencias Palladium, 1 Carter Green, Carmel, or the nearby Studio Theater at 4 Carter Green. More information and tickets at only $10 are available at (317) 843-3800 or TheCenterPresents.org/Luminaries.
The 2025-2026 schedule features:
Latin American Music from the Heart
Sept. 30 – Robert Adam Room
Costa Rican soprano Yuriria Rodríguez is a Latin jazz vocalist, educator, composer and choral director who serves as Associate Director of Hispanic Music at Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis. Her presentation will celebrate the songs of Latina women composers and singers who have left a historic legacy in the Latin American music world.
Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime
Nov. 25 – The Studio Theater
Bloomington-based musician Kevin MacDowell, aka Kid Kazooey, will perform the songs and explore the life of composer and pianist Scott Joplin, the “King of Ragtime.” Joplin’s hit “Maple Leaf Rag” is nearly as popular today as it was in 1899, appearing in video games, cartoons, commercials, and the soundtracks of hundreds of films.
Choose to Love and the Art of Storytelling
Jan. 27 – Robert Adam Room
Motivational comedian and keynote speaker Kevin Wanzer has traveled the world encouraging audiences to embrace love in their relationships and interactions, to embrace the power of humor and diversity, and to discover their hidden passions. In this presentation, he will share his poem “Choose to Love,” which came to him in a dream one night in the 1990s and was later published.
March 24 – Robert Adam Room
Bassist, educator and music publicist Ron Kadish has extensive experience in the business and history of music. His presentation will provide a comprehensive look at the roots of rock ’n’ roll, from its diverse influences to the pivotal moments that set the stage for the British Invasion, including a discussion about which song is really “the first” rock ’n’ roll song.
May 26 – The Studio Theater
Drumming has the power to motivate, relax, educate, energize, unite and inspire. It is accessible to all ages and ability levels, and no experience is needed. Join music educator Lisa Colleen, founder and principal of LC Rhythm Events, for an introduction to basic rhythms and a drum-circle experience that explores the instrument as a tool for creating unity, self-expression and well-being.
About Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts
The mission of Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026, is to engage and inspire the Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. The nonprofit organization’s campus in Carmel, Indiana, includes the 1,500-seat Payne & Mencias Palladium concert hall, the 500-seat Tarkington proscenium theater and the black-box Studio Theater. Allied Solutions Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year, including the annual Center Presents performance season, featuring the best in classical music, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy and other genres. Educational and experiential programming for all ages includes children’s concerts and camps, book clubs, lectures, and classes in music and stand-up comedy. Allied Solutions Center is home to the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident arts companies. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org.
