5 Best Performing Arts in Tucson, Arizona

A Wednesday-night chamber-music series is hosted by the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music at the Leo Rich Theater in the Tucson Convention Center from October through April. There's also a music festival the first week of March.

In winter the Arizona Symphonic Winds performs a series of free indoor concerts and then goes outdoors with a spring–summer concert schedule at Udall Park in Northeast Tucson. Performances in the park are Saturday at 7 pm; arrive at least an hour early for a good spot on the grass.

The small but vibrant jazz scene in Tucson encompasses everything from afternoon jam sessions in the park to Sunday jazz brunches at resorts in the Foothills. The Tucson Jazz Festival brings national and international artists to town for 10 days in mid-January; call for information.

In May, June, and September the Tucson Pops Orchestra gives outstanding free concerts on Sunday evenings at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park. Arrive about an hour before the music starts (usually at 7 pm) to stake your claim on a viewing spot.

Part of Tuscon's cultural scene since 1929, this orchestra performs at the Tucson Convention Center and at sites in the Foothills and the Northwest from October through May.