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It’s tough to catch every concert around town, especially when you start adding up all those ticket prices. Local colleges and universities have some intriguing music offerings, with no-cost or low-cost admission.
ASU has an especially robust lineup, including events featuring students, alumni, and faculty. Some happen on campus, but others take place in venues that range from high schools to museums.
ASU Gammage has everything from touring Broadway productions to guest artists (if you don’t mind splurging a bit on tickets). This season’s Broadway musicals include Anastasia, Come From Away, Mean Girls, and more.
ASU presents a few music series in the community, at venues that include the Musical Instrument Museum, Tempe Center for the Arts, and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. You’ll also find ASU music events at Mesa Arts Center, The Nash, and The Phoenix Theatre Company this season.
Here’s a guide to ASU music offerings organized by musical styles, designed to help you start sampling their diverse line-up. Mark your calendars now, so you won’t forget about your favorites.
Choral/Orchestra
A Child's Garden of Dreams
ASU GammageMonday, November 4
Hear music exploring the impact the world has on children, and the ways children impact the world.
Herberger String Quartet Concert
Katzin Concert HallTuesday, November 27
Hear a recital culminating the fall semester for the graduate scholarship quartet.
Barrett Pops Concert
ASU GammageTuesday, February 26
Hear soloists, small groups, and the full chorus perform songs reflecting their chosen concert theme.
Contemporary
Towards a More Perfect Union
ASU GammageSaturday, October 5Experience a theatrical concert with guest artists, which includes music, spoken word, and film.
Prisms Contemporary Music Festival Concerts
Katzin Concert HallSaturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10
Hear contemporary music performed during this two-day festival.
ASU Contemporary Percussion Ensemble
Katzin Concert HallWednesday, December 4
Hear masterworks from the ensemble's repertoire.
ASU Rock Band
Evelyn Smith Music TheatreWednesday, April 29
Hear the rock band perform its fall concert.
Jazz
ASU Jazz Combos
ASU Music Building Recital HallTuesday, October 8; Additional dates
Emerging artists will perform various styles of jazz.
ASU Latin Jazz Night
Evelyn Smith Music TheatreWednesday, October 30; Additional dates
Hear the band perform music with Afro-Cuban roots.
ASU Jazz Repertory Band
The NashWednesday, December 4
Enjoy vintage selections from the history of big band music.
ASU Jazz Faculty Showcase
The NashWednesday, February 5; Additional dates
Hear faculty perform jazz classics and original compositions.
ASU Big Band Night
Katzin Concert HallWednesday, February 26
Enjoy an evening of vintage music spanning big band history.
Musical Theater/Opera
The Light in the Piazza
Evelyn Smith Music TheatreOpens Thursday, October 3
See the musical set in 1953 Italy, which highlights cultural differences revealed by a sudden romance.
Buying a Home: A Requiem for Robert Ashley
ASU Music Building Recital HallTuesday, January 18; Additional dates
Explore the search for meaning amid chaos as characters search for real estate in Phoenix.
Street Scene
Evelyn Smith Music TheatreThursday, February 27; Additional dates
See how music, dance, and dialogue reveal the complexities of life surrounding a New York tenement.
9 to 5 The Musical
Evelyn Smith Music TheatreThursday, April 23; Additional dates
See how women wronged in the workplace find friendship — and revenge.
Music Theatre Showcase and Alumni Night
The Phoenix Theatre CompanyMonday, April 27
Hear students and alumni perform classic and contemporary musical theater songs.
New Works
New Work Reading: An Evening with Carmel Dean
ASU Kerr Cultural CenterSunday, September 15
Enjoy selections from a theatrical song cycle called "Well-Behaved Women."
ASU Composition Studio
Katzin Concert HallMonday, November 18; Additional datesHear a concert featuring diverse works composed by music students.
New Work Reading: An Evening with Laura Kaminsky
ASU Kerr Cultural CenterSunday, February 9
Hear "Hometown to the Wolf" and other selections from Kaminsky's operatic canon.
More Performances
Guitars-4-Vets
ASU Kerr Cultural CenterTuesday, September 24; Additional dates
Hear music and stories reflecting the experiences of U.S. military veterans.
ASU Mariachi
Evelyn Smith Music TheatreMonday, November 25; Additional dates
ASU Mariachi performs its fall semester culmination concert.
ASU Pan Devils Steel Band
Evelyn Smith Music TheatreFriday, December 6; Additional dates
Graduate and undergraduate students perform sounds of the West Indies.
Spring Trombone Day
Trombones de Costa RicaEvelyn Smith Music Theatre
Saturday, April 4
Experience a trombone twist on the sounds of Costa Rica.
Pop Fiction
ASU GammageWednesday, April 15
Hear music inspired by pop culture, from Seinfeld to Saturday Night Live.
If you want to see the full 2019-20 season for ASU’s School of Music, you can visit their website or review their brochure online.
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