Concert: Dee Dee Bridgewater with pianist Bill Charlap
2026-01-23 19:30 (America/Phoenix) | Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W Congress St, Tucson, AZ, 85701, United States
Dee Dee Bridgewater, a three-time GRAMMY and Tony Award-winning jazz giant, joins forces with GRAMMY-winning pianist Bill Charlap in a rare duo performance. Renowned for her fearless artistry, storytelling, and unparalleled vocal command, Dee Dee Bridgewater has reimagined jazz standards for decades while bridging genres from Ella to Billie to the American Songbook. Bill Charlap, praised by The New York Times as “masterful” and known for collaborations with Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, and Barbra Streisand, is one of today’s foremost interpreters of the Great American Songbook.
Together, they bring music from their acclaimed 2023 album Elemental to life, traversing everything from intimate ballads to exuberant standards with chemistry that critics describe as “instantaneous” and “alchemical.” This concert is a sublime tour-de-force, intertwining virtuosity, emotion, and spontaneity in an evening that will linger long after the final note.
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Tucson Jazz Festival Member & Fox Theatre Donor Pre-Sale: Fri. Sept. 12 at 10am
Public On-Sale: Mon. Sept 15 at 10am

Musical Revue: Ain’t Misbehavin
2026-01-25 00:00 - 2026-02-14 00:00 | Temple of Music and Art, 330 S Scott Ave, Tucson, 85701, United States
The Joint Is Jumpin’! This three-time Tony Award-winning revue is a jubilant tribute to Fats Waller’s legacy and the enduring charm of swing and jazz. Get ready to jump, jive, and groove as a cast of extraordinary performers brings Waller’s timeless music of the Golden Age of Jazz to life. From the sassy to the soulful, you’ll be swept away by iconic hits in this unforgettable performance. Experience joyful rhythms, sultry melodies, and breathtaking beauty in this dazzling tribute to the music of the Harlem Renaissance.
Click Here For Tickets and Full schedule of Performances 1/25/26—2/14/26

Debussy’s La Mer & Berlioz’s Cléopâtre featuring Angela Brower, mezzo-soprano
2026-01-25 14:00 | Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S Church Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85701, United States
Debussy’s impressionistic symphonic tone poems, La mer and Ibéria, take center stage in this all-French–Iberian Peninsula program. Globe-trotting mezzo-soprano Angela Brower is the soloist for Berlioz’s cantata Cléopâtre, studded with lush orchestral sections and dramatic vocal writing as she depicts the heroine’s final moments. Maestro Gomez also introduces the music of Olivier Messiaen with the grief-stricken Le tombeau resplendissant.
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Recital: Elena Rivera, soprano with guitarist Joaquin Clerch
2026-01-25 19:00 | UA School of Music, Holsclaw Hall, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Mexican soprano Elena Rivera has performed to acclaim in major venues throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas in opera, concert, and recital settings. In 2020, Rivera and the string quartet Cuarteto Latinoamericano received a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Classical Album for “The Juliet Letters.” Additionally, she has sung leading roles in operas including La Traviata, Rigoletto, L’elisir d’amore, Die Fledermaus, and Don Pasquale as well the zarzuelas The Guest from Seville, The African Duet, The Barber of Lavapiés, and Marina.
Joaquín Clerch is a Cuban classical guitarist, composer, and educator. He is a leading guitar pedagogue as Professor of Guitar at Robert Schumann University Düsseldorf, where his students have won many international awards and honors in major competitions. As a composer, his work Yemaya won first prize in both the 1987 National Cuban Composition Competition and the 1987 Toronto International Guitar Competition. Clerch received one of the Cuban government’s highest artistic awards, “La orden por la cultura nacional,” and his work as a guitarist has taken him to leading concert halls around the world.
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New Directions In Song featuring singers from the UA School of Music
2026-01-28 12:00 | UA School of Music, Holsclaw Hall, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
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

Karen Slack, soprano & Miró Quartet (Daniel Ching, violin; William Fedkenheuer, violin; John Largess, viola; & Joshua Gindele, cello) featuring a premiere by Tamar-kali
2026-01-28 19:30 | Leo Rich Theater, 260 S Church Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85701, United States
Heralded composer Tamar-kali—whose work spans contemporary pop, classical, and film music genres—has collaborated with the Miró Quartet and soprano Karen Slack to create this special celebration of the life, times, and works of composer and pianist Margaret Bonds. The first half of the program uses the Barber String Quartet to frame a general mid-twentieth-century context for Bonds’ work. Additional repertoire features works by her teacher, Florence Price, her friend William Grant Still, and her younger contemporary, George Walker. These relationships are integral to telling a more complete story about Bonds’ life as well as painting a broader picture of the African-American classical music community during that era. Tamar-kali’s new work, co-commissioned by Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, sets texts centered in the inspirational poetry of women of the Harlem Renaissance.
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Mozart’s Requiem featuring Zoe Allen, soprano; Angela Brower, mezzo-soprano; Omar Najmi, tenor; & Edward Vogel, baritone
2026-01-31 14:00, 2026-01-31 19:30, 2026-02-01 14:00 | Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E Sunrise Dr, Tucson, AZ, 85718, United States
Mozart died at the age of 35 before he was able to complete his masterful Requiem. Maestro Gomez has conceived a “completion” by commissioning Tucson composer Dan Coleman to compose a work connecting the Requiem to Mozart’s choral gem Ave verum corpus. The quartet of soloists joining the TSO Chorus includes the return of mezzo-soprano Angela Brower for the second of two weeks, as well as soprano Zoe Allen, tenor Omar Najmi, and baritone Edward Vogel.
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memorium Benjamin Britten, is one of his most popular pieces and widely used in film. Equally well-known is Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte. The composer’s title might lead the listener to think of this as a lament. Far from it, it’s an evocation of the 16th-century stately Spanish court dance, as it could have been danced by a little princess.
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Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
2026-02-07 14:00 | Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S Church Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85701, United States
Immerse yourself in Puccini’s timeless masterpiece, Madama Butterfly—a story of hope, longing, and ultimate sacrifice—sung by a distinguished cast led by Karen Chia-ling Ho as Cio-Cio-San, Terrence Chin Loy as Lt. Pinkerton, Alice Chung as Suzuki, and Alexander Birch Elliott as Sharpless. With some of the most exquisite arias and tender duets ever composed, this deeply moving opera follows the young geisha Cio Cio San as she dreams of a life of love with Pinkerton, an American naval officer. As the tale unfolds, betrayal and heartbreak cast their shadow, leading to an unforgettable climax. Experience an operatic journey of unmatched beauty and emotional depth that has captivated audiences for generations.
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Recital: Davóne Tines, bass-baritone & Ruckus, “What Is Your Hand In This?”
2026-02-08 15:00 | Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E Adams St, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Curated by acclaimed bass-baritone Davóne Tines, What is Your Hand in This? will take audiences on a powerful journey through four centuries of songs, hymns, ballads, and newly commissioned works by Tines and Ruckus bassist Doug Balliett. As the nation reflects on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this program asks: How can this fragile American experiment hold? Can we find compassion for others? Can you find compassion for yourself? “Davóne Tines is changing what it means to be a classical singer” (The New Yorker).
Ruckus—”the world’s only period-instrument rock band” (San Francisco Classical Voice)—is a shapeshifting, collaborative baroque ensemble with a visceral and playful approach to early music. Ruckus’s core is a continuo group: guitars, keyboards, cello, bassoon and bass. The NYC-based ensemble aims to fuse the early-music movement’s questing, creative spirit with the grit, groove, and jangle of American roots music.
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Broadway singer/dancer D. Jerome & the U of A Traveling Dance Ensemble
2026-02-19 19:00, 2026-02-20 19:00, 2026-02-21 13:00, 2026-02-21 19:00, 2026-02-22 13:00 | Stevie Eller Dance Theater, 1713 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
The 2026 UA School of Dance Student Success Scholarship Series features performances by the U of A Traveling Dance Ensemble, original works by faculty and students, and Broadway star D. Jerome—currently touring as the Tin Man in the first national tour of The Wiz! Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of dance and student achievement.
Considered a “formidable triple threat” and skilled choreographer, up-and-coming singer, dancer, and actor D. Jerome has performed to acclaim in MJ the Musical on Broadway and the 2022-2023 National tour of Hamilton. Proficient in various performance techniques with possessing exceptional creativity, Jerome has fostered transformative experiences on stage and in educational settings. He began his training in traditional dance formats including ballet, modern, and jazz dance at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Tickets coming soon

Desert Voices featuring "Himiko," choreographed by Chieko Imada, with soprano Erika Burkhart & Duo Chinoiserie (Bin Hu, guitar & Jing Xia, guzheng), & the World Premiere of "Desert Dweller," choreographed by Margaret Mullin & accompanied by the composer, guitarist Misael Barraza-Díaz
2026-02-27 19:00, 2026-02-28 14:00, 2026-02-28 19:00, 2026-03-01 14:00 | Temple of Music and Art, 330 S Scott Ave, Tucson, 85701, United States
Ballet Tucson continues its longtime partnership with the Tucson Desert Song Festival and Tucson Guitar Society with the highly anticipated return of Chieko Imada’s Himiko. This audience favorite work offers a beautiful blend of ballet and traditional Japanese dance as a tribute to the human spirit, honor, and resilience, featuring music by Yusuke Nakanishi performed live by celebrated ensemble Duo Chinoiserie (Bin Hu, guitar & Jing Xia, guzheng) and soprano Erika Burkhart.
The program will also include the World Premiere of Desert Dweller by Tucson native Margaret Mullin. Filled with vivid projections of striking botanicals captured by photographer Carlos Chavez and set to the music of renowned guitarist Misael Barraza-Díaz, this work will serve as a celebration of the natural beauty of this region we all call home.
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Recital: Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano with pianist Kathleen Kelly
2026-03-05 19:00 | UA School of Music, Holsclaw Hall, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Arizona Opera presents Jamie Barton, celebrated mezzo-soprano and “opera’s nose-studded rock star” (New York Times), in recital. Critically acclaimed by virtually every major outlet covering classical music, Barton was named 2020 “Personality of the Year” at the BBC Music Magazine Awards and received the Opera Magazine Reader’s Award at the 2021 International Opera Awards. Additionally, she is the winner of the Beverly Sills Artist Award, Richard Tucker Award, and BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, and her album Unexpected Shadows earned a GRAMMY nomination in 2022 for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
Joining Barton at the piano is distinguished pianist, conductor, and coach Kathleen Kelly. Kelly began her career at San Francisco Opera before beginning a long association with the Metropolitan Opera. Following tenures as Head of Music at Houston Grand Opera and Music Director of Berkshire Opera, she was appointed Director of Musical Studies at the Vienna State Opera, the first woman and first American in that position. Since returning to the United States in 2015, Kelly has maintained a vibrant conducting schedule.
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Jamie Barton Masterclass
2026-03-06 11:00 | UA School of Music, Holsclaw Hall, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Singers from the UA School of Music participate in a masterclass led by celebrated mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. Read more about the artist.
Free and open to the public.

— Postponed (new date & time TBD) — In conversation with Jennifer Johnson Cano & Christopher Cano
2026-04-06 18:30 | UA School of Music, Holsclaw Hall, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Join us for a lively discussion with the husband-wife duo of Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano and pianist Christopher Cano about the World Premiere of a new TDSF-commissioned song song cycle by lauded American composer Gregory Spears to be performed the following evening, April 7th at 7pm in Holsclaw Hall.
Free Admission

Rossini’s La Cenerentola
2026-04-25 14:00 | Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S Church Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85701, United States
Step into the magic of Rossini’s Cinderella in this delightful semi-staged production brimming with humor, charm, and enchanting melodies, with a distinguished cast led by mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck as Angelina, Andrew Morstein as Don Ramiro, Matt Boehler as Don Magnifico, and Yichen Xue as Dandini. Angelina—mistreated by her stepfather Don Magnifico and his scheming daughters—dares to dream of a brighter future. With help from Prince Ramiro’s clever valet and a sparkling twist involving a pair of bracelets, Angelina must navigate royal intrigue to capture the prince’s heart. Perfect for audiences of all ages, this vibrant retelling of the beloved fairytale promises laughter, romance, and soaring arias the whole family will adore.
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— Rescheduled (originally 4/7/26) — Recital: Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano with pianist Christopher Cano featuring the ​​World Premiere of a new TDSF-commissioned song cycle by Gregory Spears
2026-11-17 19:00 | UA School of Music, Holsclaw Hall, 1017 N Olive Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, United States
Jennifer Johnson Cano undertakes an impressive balance of operatic, orchestral, and chamber performances each season. With credentials too numerous to list, her performances range from the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra to Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and more than 100 performances on stage with the Metropolitan Opera.
Distinguished soloist and collaborative artist Christopher Cano joins her at the piano. Cano is a sought-after coach, having prepared leading singers for appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, and Chicago Lyric Opera, among others. As a collaborative artist, he has played in the master classes of Marilyn Horne, Licia Albanese, Fedora Barbieri, Anna Moffo, Lauren Flannigan, Martin Katz, and Craig Rutenberg.
This exciting program includes the World Premiere of a new song cycle by lauded American composer Gregory Spears, commissioned by the Tucson Desert Song Festival. Spears is a New York-based composer whose music has been called “astonishingly beautiful” (The New York Times), “coolly entrancing” (The New Yorker), and “some of the most beautifully unsettling music to appear in recent memory” (The Boston Globe). His opera The Righteous, written in collaboration with former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, was shortlisted for an International Opera Award in 2024 and was named a New York Times “Critic’s Pick.”
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