Celebrate dance, song, and romance just in time for Valentine’s Day with this captivating program. Love conquers all in the magnificent and haunting classical ballet masterpiece Giselle Act II. Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Chieko Imada will create another dazzling world premiere featuring live music performed onstage with our talented company dancers. Christopher Wheeldon, world-renowned […]

Join Tucson Desert Song Festival Coordinator George Hanson for a lively discussion about the creative process behind the world premiere of Quiet Poems, a new song cycle by Jimmy López Bellido with poems by Nilo Cruz. Pianist Laurent Philippe, Fabiano's frequent and long-time performing partner, will join him onstage the following evening for a full recital […]

Renowned tenor Michael Fabiano and long-time performing partner pianist Laurent Philippe present the world premiere of a new song cycle by Jimmy López Bellido with poems by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz. The work, titled Quiet Poems, was commissioned by the Tucson Desert Song Festival through the Wesley Green Composer Project. Best known for his enormously successful opera Bel […]

Master Class, the Tony-winning play by Terrence McNally, tells the story of the uncompromising opera diva Maria Callas as she delivers a life altering master class to students at an elite opera training program. During the class, she encounters three vastly different students who are by turns hilariously crushed, soulfully uplifted, and profoundly inspired by […]

Singers from the UA School of Music participate in a masterclass led by celebrated tenor Lawrence Brownlee. Free and open to the public.

Following the roaring success of his Beatles tribute Pepperland, Mark Morris teams up again with musical collaborator Ethan Iverson for The Look of Love, a wistful and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping songs of Burt Bacharach. A towering figure, across decades of popular music, Bacharach is known for crafting soaring melodies embedded in unique orchestrations […]

Lawrence Brownlee is a leading figure in opera, both as a singer on the world's top stages and as a voice for activism and diversity in the industry. Captivating audiences and critics around the globe, he has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times), “one of […]

One of the pinnacles of the orchestral-choral repertoire, Verdi’s Requiem is infrequently presented because of its large forces. When it does come around, performances are always an event, especially with this hand-picked quartet of international soloists (Katie van Kooten, soprano, Ronnita Miller, mezzo-soprano, Mario Chang, tenor, and Morris Robinson, bass) and the uplifting massed voices of the TSO Chorus […]

One of the pinnacles of the orchestral-choral repertoire, Verdi’s Requiem is infrequently presented because of its large forces. When it does come around, performances are always an event, especially with this hand-picked quartet of international soloists (Katie van Kooten, soprano, Ronnita Miller, mezzo-soprano, Mario Chang, tenor, and Morris Robinson, bass) and the uplifting massed voices of the TSO Chorus […]

Take Bernstein’s hit musical Candide of French genius Voltaire, mix in the Chichester Psalms, the most played piece worldwide for Bernstein’s Centennial Celebrations, and top it off with the 20th-Century French master composer (on his 125th birthday) Francis Poulenc’s glorious Gloria, and you have the ideal True Concord program! Add in the fabulous soprano Nicole […]

Take Bernstein’s hit musical Candide of French genius Voltaire, mix in the Chichester Psalms, the most played piece worldwide for Bernstein’s Centennial Celebrations, and top it off with the 20th-Century French master composer (on his 125th birthday) Francis Poulenc’s glorious Gloria, and you have the ideal True Concord program! Add in the fabulous soprano Nicole […]

Take Bernstein’s hit musical Candide of French genius Voltaire, mix in the Chichester Psalms, the most played piece worldwide for Bernstein’s Centennial Celebrations, and top it off with the 20th-Century French master composer (on his 125th birthday) Francis Poulenc’s glorious Gloria, and you have the ideal True Concord program! Add in the fabulous soprano Nicole […]

The magnificent soprano Nicole Cabell – winner of the BBC Singer of the World Competition, one of the most prestigious prizes won by such luminaries as Barton, Hvorostovsky, and Terfel – makes her Tucson Desert Song Festival debut. The recital program will include favorite opera and Great American Songbook selections including Puccini, Gounod, Gershwin, Jerome Kern, […]

Vocal and instrumental works by G.F. Handel, featuring soprano Amanda Forsythe. American soprano Amanda Forsythe, celebrated for her performances on both sides of the Atlantic, is a regular soloist with the highly acclaimed baroque ensembles Les Talens Lyriques, the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, the Boston Early Music Festival, the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, […]

Music of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries, featuring bass-baritone Dashon Burton and Telemann’s Flute and Recorder Concerto. Hailed as an artist “alight with the spirit of the music” (Boston Globe), three-time GRAMMY Award-winning bass-baritone Dashon Burton has established a vibrant career appearing regularly throughout the US and Europe. Highlights of his 2023/24 season included a […]

An exploration of Bach in the Church and Garden, featuring Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and Cantata BWV 32 Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen with soprano Amanda Forsythe and bass-baritone Dashon Burton. American soprano Amanda Forsythe, celebrated for her performances on both sides of the Atlantic, is a regular soloist with the highly acclaimed baroque ensembles Les Talens […]

Acclaimed Metropolitan Opera and Vienna State Opera bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green makes his Tucson debut with a program of works by Mahler, Liszt, Schubert, Wolf, and Mussorgsky. Named “the real showstopper” by The New York Times, two-time GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Ryan Speedo Green has quickly established himself as an artist of international demand at the […]

Dominique Eade is an extraordinary vocalist, composer, improviser, and RCA recording artist. Poetic and passionate, Dominique blends musical virtuosity with a songwriter’s straightforward emotional sensibility. She creates music that has garnered critical acclaim, earned the admiration of her peers, inspired audiences, and served as a creative signpost for generations of singers. Joining Eade at the […]

Dominique Eade is an extraordinary vocalist, composer, improviser, and RCA recording artist. Poetic and passionate, Dominique blends musical virtuosity with a songwriter’s straightforward emotional sensibility. She creates music that has garnered critical acclaim, earned the admiration of her peers, inspired audiences, and served as a creative signpost for generations of singers. Joining Eade at the […]

Nigel Foster is the founder, director, and pianist of the London Song Festival, an annual event promoting song repertoire. In addition to featuring internationally known artists, the Festival acts as a major showcase for young up-and-coming singers. Nigel’s musical interests range from the baroque to contemporary music, though his main love and passion is the […]

Caity Gyorgy is a two-time JUNO award-winning Canadian vocalist known for singing bebop and swing music. She has performed at jazz clubs and festivals across Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the USA and has worked and recorded with incredible musicians including Christine Jensen, Pat LaBarbera, Jocelyn Gould, Ira Coleman, Bryn Roberts, and Joe LaBarbera, to name […]

One of the brightest stars on the operatic stage and a Tucson favorite, internationally recognized mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke returns to the TSO for a riveting performance of Mahler’s colossal third symphony. Organized over six movements, the work is the composer’s hymn to nature and one of his most complete musical statements. José Luis Gomez, conductor. […]

Mezzo-soprano Kristin Dauphinais is highly regarded for her artistry and versatility. She has worked in a variety of genres including musical theater, opera, concert, oratorio, chamber music, and solo recitals. Her performing career has taken her throughout the United States as well as tours in Italy, China, and Australia and additional concert performances in Germany, […]

A musical celebration of the blues and its influence on American music, this toe-tapping revue weaves the stories of three women and one man as they navigate love, heartbreak, and rebirth. Set in a swanky 1930s Chicago hotel, this emotionally uplifting story features 26 of the hottest torch numbers by blues and jazz icons like […]

One of the brightest stars on the operatic stage and a Tucson favorite, internationally recognized mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke returns to the TSO for a riveting performance of Mahler’s colossal third symphony. Organized over six movements, the work is the composer’s hymn to nature and one of his most complete musical statements. José Luis Gomez, conductor. […]

Singers from the UA School of Music will present a recital of contemporary art song, featuring new trends and discoveries. Hosted by faculty artist and Chair of Vocal Studies Dr. Kristin Dauphinais. Free Admission

A musical celebration of the blues and its influence on American music, this toe-tapping revue weaves the stories of three women and one man as they navigate love, heartbreak, and rebirth. Set in a swanky 1930s Chicago hotel, this emotionally uplifting story features 26 of the hottest torch numbers by blues and jazz icons like […]

Giacomo Puccini’s beloved classic La Bohème transports you to the streets of 19th century Paris for one of the world’s most timeless and moving love stories, as sung by a distinguished cast featuring Caitlin Gotimer, Mimì; SeokJong Baek, Rodolfo; Benjamin Taylor, Marcello; Emma Marhefka, Musetta.; Peter Barber, Colline; and Yichen Xue, Schaunard. In the vibrant […]

Metropolitan Opera star Sasha Cooke will perform selections from Mahler’s five-song cycle based on the poems of Friedrich Rückert. The brilliant young composer Chelsea Komschlies’ new work, a TSO commission through the League of American Orchestras Toulmin Commissions Program, also has its world premiere. Maestro Gomez continues his Schumann cycle with the composer’s Symphony No. […]

Metropolitan Opera star Sasha Cooke will perform selections from Mahler’s five-song cycle based on the poems of Friedrich Rückert. The brilliant young composer Chelsea Komschlies’ new work, a TSO commission through the League of American Orchestras Toulmin Commissions Program, also has its world premiere. Maestro Gomez continues his Schumann cycle with the composer’s Symphony No. […]

Metropolitan Opera star Sasha Cooke will perform selections from Mahler’s five-song cycle based on the poems of Friedrich Rückert. The brilliant young composer Chelsea Komschlies’ new work, a TSO commission through the League of American Orchestras Toulmin Commissions Program, also has its world premiere. Maestro Gomez continues his Schumann cycle with the composer’s Symphony No. […]

In celebration of Tucson’s 250th birthday, Associate Artistic Director Chieko Imada creates another exciting world premiere in partnership with the Tucson Desert Song Festival and Tucson Guitar Society. This vibrant new ballet features the music of legendary Tucsonan Lalo Guerrero, Father of Chicano music, performed live onstage with our dancers. Carlos Zapién, vocals. Misael Barraza […]

In celebration of Tucson’s 250th birthday, Associate Artistic Director Chieko Imada creates another exciting world premiere in partnership with the Tucson Desert Song Festival and Tucson Guitar Society. This vibrant new ballet features the music of legendary Tucsonan Lalo Guerrero, Father of Chicano music, performed live onstage with our dancers. Carlos Zapién, vocals. Misael Barraza […]

In celebration of Tucson’s 250th birthday, Associate Artistic Director Chieko Imada creates another exciting world premiere in partnership with the Tucson Desert Song Festival and Tucson Guitar Society. This vibrant new ballet features the music of legendary Tucsonan Lalo Guerrero, Father of Chicano music, performed live onstage with our dancers. Carlos Zapién, vocals. Misael Barraza […]

In celebration of Tucson’s 250th birthday, Associate Artistic Director Chieko Imada creates another exciting world premiere in partnership with the Tucson Desert Song Festival and Tucson Guitar Society. This vibrant new ballet features the music of legendary Tucsonan Lalo Guerrero, Father of Chicano music, performed live onstage with our dancers. Carlos Zapién, vocals. Misael Barraza […]

Historic recordings of some of the great singers of yesteryear include numerous performances of salon songs that included an obbligato instrument. Some of these pairings included Enrico Caruso with Mischa Elman, John McCormack with Fritz Kreisler, Marian Anderson with William Primrose, Alma Gluck with her husband Efrem Zimbalist, as well as Bing Crosby and Jascha […]

Celebrate Tucson’s connections to the skies. The fascinating and rarely performed Airborne Symphony is the perfect piece to pay homage to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base—a world premiere of a new suite version focused on the exhilaration of flying and the miracle of flight itself. Beginning with the […]

Join us for a lively discussion with celebrated American composer John Corigliano and the husband-wife duo of famed violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martínez about the world premiere of Corigliano's new festival-commissioned song cycle. Hosted by George Hanson.   Free Admission

This recital program will feature the world premiere of a new song cycle by celebrated American composer John Corigliano, commissioned by the Tucson Desert Song Festival, for the husband-wife duo of famed violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martínez. The piece reunites Corigliano and Bell, who became a household name after he performed Corigliano’s soundtrack […]

Stephen Costello has been hailed as ‘a prodigiously gifted singer whose voice makes an immediate impact’ (Associated Press). The Philadelphia-born tenor quickly established a reputation as a ‘first-class talent’ (Opera News) after coming to national attention in 2007, when, aged 26, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut on the company’s season-opening night. Two years later, […]