Wednesday, April 16, 2025
10:00 am - 11:30 am
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.
In celebration of Arizona Musicfest’s first-ever musical in concert at the end of April, join us for an insightful seminar delving into Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical, Carousel. Premiering on Broadway in 1945, Carousel tells the poignant story of Billy Bigelow, a charismatic carousel barker, and his tumultuous romance with millworker Julie Jordan. Set against the backdrop of a New England coastal town, the musical explores themes of love, redemption, and the human spirit. Renowned for its rich musical score, including timeless songs like “If I Loved You” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, Carousel has been celebrated for its emotional depth and complex characters. Our seminar will examine the historical context of the production, its impact on American musical theatre, and the enduring legacy of its music and narrative. Whether you’re a longtime admirer or new to this masterpiece, this event offers a comprehensive exploration of one of Broadway’s most cherished works.
Getting Here
Music Alive! Studio
7950 E. Thompson Peak Parkway
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
7950 East Thompson Peak Parkway
7950 East Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Instructor
Josh Condon
As a pianist equally adept in the genres of jazz, pop, and classical, Josh Condon has served as music director/supervisor for over 40 musical theatre productions, in addition to leading concerts with symphony orchestras, choirs, jazz ensembles, and pop/rock bands. He has traveled the world as a music director and pianist for the Norwegian, Celebrity, and Princess Cruise Lines where he worked with numerous Broadway and West End performers.
Currently, Josh serves as Resident Artist and Director of Community Music Programs for Arizona Musicfest in Scottsdale, an organization which features concert performances of the music industry’s top talent. In addition to serving as Assistant Conductor for the Musicfest Festival Orchestra, he lectures on topics surveying a huge breadth of music history and analysis, including popular song, symphonic repertoire, jazz performance practice, musical theatre, and everything in between.
He also serves as Assistant Conductor for the North Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared as Guest Conductor with the Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra, the Scottsdale Philharmonic, and the Arizona Musical Theatre Orchestra. Josh is passionate about using flexibility, positivity, and encouragement to create spaces where all can learn and perform to their best ability. He holds a BM in Jazz Studies from Ithaca College and an MM in Musical Theatre/Opera Music Direction from Arizona State University, and resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife Lexy, their son Arlo, and their cat Sadie.