Arizona Friends of Chamber Music has a long tradition of educational and outreach activities. Our master classes, youth concert, and ticket programs provide students from throughout Tucson and Southern Arizona an opportunity to experience the world's finest chamber music.

Master classes. Musicians who perform in our Piano and Friends series give free master classes to students of the TJS and TMTA. Performers at the Chamber Music Festival give free master classes to U of A music students. This enables us to support both the 21st century's finest young performers and Tucson’s dedicated music students. The master classes are also free to the audience.

Now online: A Master Class with Allan Vogel
During the 2011 Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival, presented by Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, oboist Allan Vogel gave a master class to students of Neil Tatman, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Arizona. Allan Vogel, Oboe, has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “an aristocrat of his instrument, an oboe virtuoso with few equals.” He is one of America’s leading wind soloists and chamber musicians. Principal oboist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Vogel has soloed with orchestras throughout the country and has been featured at the Marlboro, Santa Fe, Aspen, Mostly Mozart, and Oregon Bach Festivals.We are very happy to be able to share this with everyone.

Click here to view the entire master class.

(Photo by Chris Tanz)

Free youth concert. During our weeklong Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival we provide a free concert for students from grade school through high school. Working closely with OMA (Opening Minds through the Arts), we give priority to schools that rarely get this kind of opportunity, including schools with a high proportion of disadvantaged students. 600 kids pack the concert hall, some traveling from more than an hour away. For many, this is their only opportunity to see music performed live. They hear and interact with the same world-class musicians who play for the festival. Such close-up exposure to extremely talented and mostly young musicians is particularly worthwhile for this young audience.

Discounted student tickets (less than half the regular price) are available for every AFCM concert. We also provide 10 free tickets for each concert to students from four local high schools and student-price tickets for two accompanying adults.

AFCM also has one of the nation's most active commissioning programs, and invites the composer for the premiere of their new work. This is quite unique in the country and introduces young audience members to the excitement of hearing brand new pieces and seeing a modern composer. We make a point of including contemporary works in all our concerts.

Helena Baillie and a musician from the Tucson Junior Strings

Schools and organizations benefiting from AFCM activities

• City High
• Safford Elementary and Middle School
• Home Schooling Elementary
• Ha:San, the Tohono'Odham Middle/High school in Tucson
• Jewish Community Center Special Needs Services
• Van Buskirk Elementary
• Pueblo special needs Middle and High Schools
  
• Drachman Elementary
  
• Tucson Junior Strings (TJS)
• Tucson Music Teachers Association (TMTA)
• UA School of Music