Speakers Announced For 2023-2024 Series

Luminaries lineup features experts in music, dance, magic and more.

Local figures from the fields of music, dance, magic and more will share their art and their wisdom in the 2023-2024 season of Luminaries, the weekday speaker series presented by the Center for the Performing Arts.

Luminaries presentations take place at 2 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every other month at the Palladium, 1 Carter Green, Carmel. The cost is only $10, which includes light refreshments. Tickets and more information are available at (317) 843-3800 or TheCenterPresents.org/Luminaries.

The 2023-24 schedule features:

Sept. 26 – dancer and director Mónica M. Muñoz

The Identity of a Dancer

Puerto Rican professional dancer, teacher, choreographer and director will share the story of how heritage, culture, tradition, lived experiences and external factors work to shape and define identity. She will share photographs, videos and stories depicting her Cuban mother’s and Ecuadorian father’s journey to Puerto Rico and how she eventually made her way to Indianapolis, all driven by her passion and love for dance.

Nov. 28 – musicians Lara Lynn and the Kid

Popular Radio Hits from the ’20s through the ’50s

Early radio was an exciting time for Americans listening from their homes, as they were exposed to so many different styles and genres of music, often on the same station, within the same hour. Join Lara Lynn Weaver and Kevin “Kid Kazooey” MacDowell to celebrate this diversity of popular music through the decades.

Jan. 23 – magician Jeff Loeser

Deliberate Deceptions: Magic and Wonder

Magic is experiencing a renaissance with popular TV series, viral internet clips and live touring shows. Magic can transport audiences to another place where anything is possible. Magician Jeff Loeser will share an insightful look into the world of magic, its history, some of his favorite magic tricks and the stories behind them. We’ll hear about how his interest in magic started and how this spark turned into a lifelong passion.

March 26 – life coach and singer-songwriter Brandon Wilson

Making it Up: A Life in Creativity

For Brandon Wilson, making things up is a way of life. It’s how he helps clients create the life of their dreams. It’s how he turns thoughts and feelings into song. It’s what led him to his own fulfilling life here in Carmel. But navigating his relationship with creativity has been quite a journey, one that kept him in trouble for most of his younger years, took him to Nashville to make a go of a career in music, landed him on a crash course with a mountain lion in Montana, and so much more. This is a journey of harnessing creativity as a positive force and turning it into a way of life.

May 28 – opera singer and visual artist Lyndsay Moy

The Intersection of Visual and Performing Arts

The term Gesamtkunstwerk, popularized by German opera composer Richard Wagner, translates to “total work of art” and refers to the thrilling synergy created by the coming together of design, performance and a live audience. Opera as an art form exemplifies this idea, merging the worlds of music and art into a feast for the senses. Join professional opera singer and visual artist Lyndsay Moy as she speaks about her work as a painter and performer, sharing stories and lessons from her experience at the intersection of visual and performing arts.