A native of Temple Hills, Maryland, Bass-Baritone, LaRob K. Payton developed a love for singing at an early age. He found a spirit in the Gospel songs he sang, passion in the R&B he heard, and nuance in the Classical music he studied.

LaRob K. Rafael is the Founder and Artistic Director of Hearing in Color, a Chicago-based nonprofit committed to amplifying historically misrepresented voices through thoughtful programming, commissioning, and community-centered performances. He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Chroma, the resident vocal ensemble of Hearing in Color, through which he curates and leads performances that center storytelling, cultural memory, and vocal excellence. Across his work, LaRob is reshaping how audiences engage with music, placing authenticity, cultural memory, and equity at the forefront.

A dynamic speaker, curator, and lecturer, LaRob is a sought-after collaborator with institutions such as the Evanston Symphony Orchestra, Society of Disobedient Listeners (UMS), Grant Park Music Festival, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He brings deep knowledge, accessible storytelling, and a de-colonial lens to music education and public programming. He frequently lectures on the intersections of race, culture, and history in classical music, helping audiences and institutions reimagine the canon and their place within it. He has led community engagement initiatives at Lyric Opera of Chicago and serves on the boards of the Chicago Philharmonic and Picosa Ensemble.

LaRob served as the Artistic Director for Chicago’s Ear Taxi Festival (October 2025), a preeminent contemporary music festival in the Midwest. There, he curated and commissioned performances in collaboration with artists, ensembles, and venues across the Chicagoland area—an effort that became one of the largest commissioning initiatives in Illinois history.

Nationally, LaRob was one of 11 arts leaders selected for the prestigious Sphinx LEAD program (2021) and is a 2025 recipient of the Sphinx MPower Artist Grant, supporting his creative and professional development as a thought leader in the arts. His work continues to reflect the Sphinx Organization’s mission to transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts.

At WFMT (Chicago, 98.7 FM), LaRob played a key role in diversifying the station’s music library and led innovative programming that deepened community engagement. His efforts included the expansion of Soundtrack—a weekend segment dedicated to music from film, television, and video games—as well as specially curated holiday programs and on-air features amplifying Black voices and cultural narratives within the classical field. He also co-created and hosted Sounds Classical, a podcast-style radio program offering fresh, culturally relevant perspectives on classical music. Through this work, he broadened the scope of what classical radio could sound and feel like, bringing new audiences into the fold.

Now, as Director of Composer Advancement with the American Composers Orchestra, LaRob continues to unveil the evolving story of American classical music—past, present, and future—through bold, imaginative, and community-rooted approaches to performance, presentation, and public engagement.