Music at Trinity concert series in Phoenix announces 2025-26 lineup

Downtown Phoenix has music venues of every size and vibe, from cavernous arenas to intimate live spots. But few hit a more transcendent note than Trinity Cathedral, the 104-year-old landmark at First Avenue and Roosevelt.

Consecrated in 1921, this Episcopal church is more than an esteemed house of worship. It also boasts divine acoustics and one of the Southwest’s largest pipe organs, with free and low-cost concerts ranging from classical and choral to chamber and world music on the regular. (The Grammy-winning Phoenix Chorale has made it a go-to spot for their rehearsals and performances for decades.)

A popular draw is the annual Music at Trinity concert series, which runs from October through April under the direction of organist and choirmaster Erik Goldstrom. Earlier this month, Music at Trinity’s 2025-26 season lineup and schedule were announced, and includes local high-energy world ensemble Layali Al-Sham and a new two-day festival spotlighting composer Franz Josef Haydn.

Here’s the full 2025-26 Music at Trinity schedule. Admission prices vary.

Urban Nocturnes Fall Concert

Friday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.Trinity’s chamber music ensemble in residence – which includes pianist Olga Gorelik, violinist Karen Sinclair, flutist Viviana Cumplido Wilson, viola player Christopher McKay, cellist Melita Hunsinger and clarinetist Erin Finkelstien – will stage the first of their two annual concerts at the cathedral. On the program: Gordon Jacob’s “Four Fancies,” Schubert’s “Trockne Blumen” variations, Martin Rokeach’s 2008 piece “Going Up?” and a piano quartet by famed composer Danny Elfman.

A-Squared Piano Concert

Sunday, Oct. 26, 4 p.m.Local pianists Ashley Strawser and Andria Fennig, collectively known as A-Squared, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of esteemed composer Maurice Ravel’s birth in 2025 with this free concert. The duo will perform Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and various works by composers “connected to his musical world.”

Choral Evensong for Feast of Christ the King

Sunday, Nov. 23, 4 p.m.The Trinity Cathedral Choir will raise its voices to mark the close of the liturgical year with a special choral service that’s free to the public. The program features Richard Ayleward’s “Preces and Responses” and Charles Wood’s “Evening Service in E-flat, No. 2.”

The Peel Memorial Organ Concert feat. Kimberly Marshall

Sunday, Feb. 1, 4 p.m.Renowned organist and Arizona State University music professor Kimberly Marshall will make Trinity’s pipes sing during this free concert. Expect a mix of masters and moderns, including pieces by Bach, César Franck, Rafael Fereyra, Errollyn Wallen and Margaret Sandresky. Marshall will also play “Disentanglement,” a unique work for organ and MIDI written by Croatian composer Ivan Bozicevic.

Layali Al-Sham

Sunday, March 1, 4 p.m.The musicians of Layali Al-Sham fuse the sounds and traditions of Southwest Asia and North Africa into high-energy performances that are as much cultural celebrations as concerts. The ASU-based ensemble, featuring more than a dozen artists, brings its globe-hopping sound to Trinity this spring.

Urban Nocturnes Spring Concert

Friday, March 27, 7 p.m.Urban Nocturnes’ springtime performance features a trio of 19th-century works, including Brahms’ “Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major” and Beethoven’s “String Serenade in D Major.” Lush harmonies and soul-stirring melodies await.

ComposerFest: Franz Josef Haydn

Friday, April 24, 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 25, 4 p.m.A pair of free concerts will celebrate the string-driven genius of the 18th-century Austrian composer. The first will feature Urban Nocturnes, bringing select movements from Haydn’s works for strings, piano and wind instruments to life. The following afternoon, the artists of early music ensemble Helios: A Modern Renaissance will perform a program of vocal, chamber, and keyboard works.