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
Further your playing with new songs and techniques!
Extend your ukulele practice with Teaching Artist Emily Bruso and fellow ukulele enthusiasts!
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.
Course Overview: Group Piano Fundamentals is a piano course designed for complete adult beginners, offering a supportive and welcoming environment to explore the basics of piano playing and music theory. Using a variety of materials, including printed and digital scores, participants will learn fundamental skills with no prior experience required—just a desire to enjoy the journey of making music. What the Course Covers: Healthy Piano Technique (Taubman Approach): Learn proper body alignment, hand position, movements and coordination. Basic Music Theory: Understand music notation, intervals, scales, and chord progressions using a mix of traditional methods and engaging tools like apps, software, and gamification. Piano Ensemble: Play multiple-part piano pieces with peers, learning ensemble skills in a fun, collaborative setting. Improvisation: Develop basic improvisation skills to foster creativity and musical expression. Course Topics: Music Notation: Clefs, notes, durations, and time signatures. Musical Terms: Essential terminology for playing and interpreting music. Intervals, Pentachords, Triads, and Inversions: Build a solid foundation in theory and harmony. Major Scales: Learn how to play scales and apply them to melodies and exercises. Chord Progressions: Focus on primary chords and their role in music. Repertoire: Play melodies in homophonic textures as well as melodies with basic accompaniments (block and broken chords). Materials Provided: Printed and digital sheet music and handouts tailored for beginners. Access to engaging practice tools and resources: apps for theory, sight-reading, and online video tutorials. NOTE: If the course is full and Musicfest's keyboards are all booked, a student may be allowed to join the class if they bring their own instructor-approved keyboard. Contact josh@azmusicfest.org for more information.
PREREQUISITES: PIANO FUNDAMENTALS I Course Overview: Group Piano Fundamentals is a piano course designed for complete adult beginners, offering a supportive and welcoming environment to explore the basics of piano playing and music theory. Using a variety of materials, including printed and digital scores, participants will learn fundamental skills with no prior experience required—just a desire to enjoy the journey of making music. What the Course Covers: Healthy Piano Technique (Taubman Approach): Learn proper body alignment, hand position, movements and coordination. Basic Music Theory: Understand music notation, intervals, scales, and chord progressions using a mix of traditional methods and engaging tools like apps, software, and gamification. Piano Ensemble: Play multiple-part piano pieces with peers, learning ensemble skills in a fun, collaborative setting. Improvisation: Develop basic improvisation skills to foster creativity and musical expression. Course Topics: Music Notation: Clefs, notes, durations, and time signatures. Musical Terms: Essential terminology for playing and interpreting music. Intervals, Pentachords, Triads, and Inversions: Build a solid foundation in theory and harmony. Major Scales: Learn how to play scales and apply them to melodies and exercises. Chord Progressions: Focus on primary chords and their role in music. Repertoire: Play melodies in homophonic textures as well as melodies with basic accompaniments (block and broken chords). Materials Provided: Printed and digital sheet music and handouts tailored for beginners. Access to engaging practice tools and resources: apps for theory, sight-reading, and online video tutorials.
Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025!
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. Here at Music Alive! we spend lots of time exploring the music of the past - and for good reason! But what about the present? Despite what the contemporary pop stations would have you believe, there is A LOT of exciting, musically interesting and creative work being made out there! Not just in America, but around the world. Join us for our first venture into BREAKING BOUNDARIES, a mini-series that's part of LISTEN UP! We'll explore new artists that you've most likely never heard of, but are sure to become a new favorite. These artists are pioneering new avenues for music creation in the 21st century, building upon the work of the past, and unleashing new creative energies for the future. As our musical world becomes more and more global through the internet, we'll explore how this dynamic has changed the music industry forever, and discuss what new musical genres are being birthed now in 2024!
