Wednesday, March 5, 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.
Widely considered to be the “Mount Everest” of piano concertos, Rachmaninoff’s third Piano Concerto is of legendary status amongst listeners for its emotional depth…and amongst pianists for its difficulty. Composed in 1909 in preparation for a performance tour through America, Rachmaninoff premiered the piece as soloist with the New York Symphony Society under conductor Walter Damrosch. It would go onto worldwide acclaim into the 20th century, in part thanks to the recorded performances of Vladamir Horowitz, the legendary pianist who Rachmaninoff claimed could play the concerto better than himself.
Join us for an in-depth exploration into Rachmaninoff’s life, his deep connection to Russian musical tradition, and the music that journeys from a haunting opening theme to a triumphant finale, fully encompassing virtuosic brilliance and sweeping romanticism. Whether you’re a seasoned classical music enthusiast or new to the world of concertos, this seminar will deepen your appreciation for one of the most celebrated works in piano literature!
Come ready to immerse yourself in the passion, complexity, and genius of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3!
Getting Here
Community Room at Arizona Musicfest
7950 E Thompson Peak Pkwy
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Directions
7950 E Thompson Peak Pkwy
7950 E Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, 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.