A key part of our Mission, for the last 30 years Musicfest has identified, supported, and promoted numerous aspiring Young Musicians from around the Valley of the Sun and Tucson area.
Through our highly-regarded Competitions, each year Musicfest supports Young Musicians with commentary, praise, and critique from some of the area’s finest musicians. Standout participants earn prizes and performance opportunities through our Young Musicians Concerts in the MIM Music Theater. These extraordinary students are also invited to Masterclasses and Private Lessons with some of our featured Festival Performers. As students transition their studies to the collegiate level, Musicfest proudly sponsors two first-year and four continuing students pursuing undergraduate studies through the Musicfest Scholarship Program.
Select from the tabs on the left to find out more!
Young Musicians CompetitionsThe Young Musicians Competition recognizes the outstanding talents of young musicians, provides a space where young competitors can perform for and receive evaluations from respected judges, and distributes monetary awards to winners who may also earn opportunities to perform as part of the Arizona Musicfest concert series.
Click below for competition details, rules, and applications:
Arizona Musicfest ScholarshipSince 2011, the Arizona Musicfest Scholarship Program has generously awarded over ninety thousand dollars to Arizona students pursuing college degrees in music.
Arizona Musicfest Scholarship recipients are currently pursuing or have recently earned degrees from the following distinguished institutions:The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory of Music, The Cleveland Institute of Music, USC’s Thornton School of Music, Biola University, Arizona State University, The Eastman School of Music, Vanderbilt University, and Curtis Institute of Music.
Learn about past recipients and find application information through the link below!
During the 2022-2023 season, Arizona Musicfest will produce a series of three Young Musicians Concerts at the MIM Music Theater in Phoenix. Join us and experience virtuosity from the start! Follow the links below to purchase tickets:
Join our introduction to West-African Handdrumming!
Free drum circles led by Frank Thompson
Guitar Strummers at AZ Musicfest will assist beginner to intermediate players in growing their foundational skills to expressively play the guitar in group or personal leisure settings. The following skills will be developed: chord memorization, chord transitions, finger dexterity, accuracy and quality of chord sound, strumming patterns and fingerpicking accompaniment styles. Participants will receive instructor individual support on personal project songs as well as given ample opportunity to play with the other players in class.
Learn how to compose your own music! Join us for Music Theory and Composition, taught by ASU professor Jacob Adler. Journey through the fundamentals of music theory while creating original compositions with fellow music enthusiasts. In this collaborative 12-week course, we'll cover a broad range of music theory topics, from basic notation to advanced harmony, applying each concept through creative group composition sessions. Whether you're a beginner or have some musical experience, you'll develop the tools to compose your own music. Basic ability to read musical notation (pitches and rhythms on the staff) is preferred.
Dr. Dan Puccio takes an in-depth look at the lives and careers of the singer-songwriters whose catalogs are featured in this year’s concert season! We’ll get to hear some of the inside stories and legends surrounding Neil Diamond, America, Billy Joel, Elton John, and Lyle Lovett, along with guided listening example to some of their greatest songs. Along the way, we’ll try to answer some of the great Rock & Roll mysteries like “Why didn’t they name the horse?”, “Was Billy Joel really that angry as a young man?”, and “Can you really ride a pony on a boat?” (Honestly, it depends on the size of the boat, and how rough the seas are.) What would you do if you had a boat? Would you go out on the ocean? If you had a pony, would you ride it on your boat? These are some of the things that we will discover about Lyle Lovett. Although he’s a native Texan, Lyle has several direct connections to Phoenix, AZ, and we will examine them on Friday, March 7th. In our session, we will cover songs like “Nobody Knows Me”, “Closing Time”, “You Can’t Resist It”. We’ll also dive into his acting career, and try to answer your burning questions such as: Why would he ride his pony on his boat? How does he know you’re not from Texas? And why does he love penguins so much?
The Acclaimed Concert-Style Theater Show Comes to Musicfest.
One of Music’s Most Vibrant and Iconic Performers.
A Leading Violin Virtuoso of the World.
Listen Up: Seminars on Music is a weekly gathering of music lovers every Wednesday morning, hosted by AZMF’s Resident Artist, Josh Condon. Each session combines music history, analysis, active listening, and discussion, designed to enhance your listening experience and overall music appreciation. Listen Up covers all genres, emphasizing our common humanity across all musical styles! Coffee and refreshments provided. Continuing our "Breaking Boundaries" mini-series, we dive into the extraordinary world of Jacob Collier, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and visionary redefining the boundaries of modern music. Widely recognized by musicians across the world as a genius, the compositions and arrangements of this young talent are already influencing an entire generation of musicians. In short, no other singular musical artist has changed the game of music in the 21st century more than Collier. Often described as a "one-man orchestra", Collier's genre-defying sound fuses jazz, pop, classical, funk, and world music with breathtaking harmonic complexity and innovative technology. This seminar will explore Collier's journey from viral YouTube sensation to multi-Grammy Award-winning artist. We'll examine his groundbreaking use of harmony, rhythm, and "microtonality", as well as his collaborations with legends such as Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock. Through guided listening and interactive discussion, participants will gain insight into Collier's creative process and his profound influence on the future of music. Whether you are a musician, music lover, or curious listener, this seminar will inspire you to hear music and creativity itself in new ways - so come prepared to have your ears expanded and your mind blown!
