Arizona Musicfest

The Mission of Arizona Musicfest is: To engage and delight audiences with exceptional concerts; promote and inspire young musicians through valuable performance and scholarship opportunities; and educate children and stimulate adults through dynamic music enrichment programs. The Vision of Arizona Musicfest is: To Bring the Joy of Music to All!

For 33 years, Arizona Musicfest has made an important impact in our community through music. Musicfest holds a unique identity as North Scottsdale's premiere arts institution, producing an annual concert season, as well as important youth performance and lifelong learning/creative aging programs for the Greater Scottsdale area. Musicfest provides significant cultural and educational opportunities that enrich the quality of life for community members of all ages.

With a commitment to presenting world-class artists from diverse musical genres, Musicfest will produce 37 concerts during the 2023-24 concert season from November to April. Recent guest artists include audience favorites Renee Fleming, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Feinstein, trumpet sensation Chris Botti, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, and Pink Martini; American music icons Johnny Mathis, Michael Bolton, Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka and Vanessa Williams; classical virtuosos Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Emanuel Ax and Midori; Broadway legends Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Kelli O'Hara; Country crossover stars Wynonna Judd, Rosanne Cash, Sara Evans, Mary Chapin Carpenter and LeAnn Rimes; jazz legends Herb Alpert, Al Jarreau, John Pizzarelli, and The Count Basie Orchestra; folk icons Peter Yarrow and Judy Collins; gospel/blues legend Mavis Staples; bluegrass favorites Steep Canyon Rangers, and more.

Each season Musicfest showcases the acclaimed Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Robert Moody. This all-star ensemble features players from the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Boston Symphony, National Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera, and other top North American orchestras.

Arizona Musicfest's extensive music education and youth performance programs engage and inspire students of ALL ages. Each year, Musicfest hosts seven Young Musician Competitions which attract outstanding music students from throughout the state. Competition winners are presented in three annual public concerts at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), helping them build self-confidence and gain valuable performance experience. Additionally, Access to Artistry masterclasses provide local students with mentorship and exceptional access to professional musicians and distinguished artists. Since 2012, the Arizona Musicfest Scholarship Program has contributed more than $170,000 to exceptional Arizona students pursuing college music degrees at some of the country's most distinguished conservatories and universities.

Along with our extensive performance programs for youth, in 2016, Musicfest launched Music Alive!, a dynamic lifelong learning and creative aging series featuring lectures, music listening clubs, participatory music-making groups, intimate performances, and popular ukulele, hand-drumming and piano classes. Each season, Music Alive! offers more than 160 entertaining and informative free community programs.

Through the breadth of Arizona Musicfest's programs and pursuits, the organization endeavors to bring the joy of music to all!