The rich tapestry of AFCM performances at the Leo Rich stage and our extensive community engagement initiatives stand as a testament to our unwavering commitment to bringing the world’s finest chamber music to Tucson and Arizona. The 2022–2023 season served as a robust foundation for the ongoing celebrations marking AFCM’s 75th season! The inspiring roster of donors featured in this report provides a clear understanding of how and why AFCM thrives. It is you—our dedicated audience members and generous donors—who breathe life into AFCM, infusing it with artistic vibrancy in its 75th season. You ..read more

This article appeared in the Tucson Daily Star on October 18, 2023by Cathalena E. Burch Tucson.com Tucson cellist Peter Rejto threw out the idea of a winter chamber music festival as a way to make conversation with the man who sat near him on a Chicago-bound plane. From the start, he could see Jean-Paul Bierny’s wheels turning. Six months later, Bierny, president of the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, and Rejto, who was newly hired to teach at the University of Arizona School of Music back in 1988, were planning the inaugural Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival. “When Jean-Paul de ..read more

This article appeared in the Tucson Sentinel on January 24, 2023 World-renowned string quartet to perform Arizona Friends of Chamber Music concert Weds. evening Xavier Omar Otero Special to TucsonSentinel.com In perfect unison with the theme of home — a spiritual place of belonging that one instinctively returns to time and again — the emotional impact of its absence and the human capacity for renewal, Takács Quartet cellist and founding member András Fejér reflects on his past and recent work, ahead of a concert in Tucson on Wednesday evening. András Fejér was born in 1955 into a musical ..read more

The dynamic range and scope of AFCM performances from the Leo Rich stage and its activities in the community convince all of us that AFCM will continue to bring the world’s greatest chamber music to Tucson and Arizona. Our 2021–2022 season truly demonstrates a marvelous “return to life” from the complex and fearful constraints imposed by Covid. The season strengthened the strong foundation for the celebrations now underway to commemorate AFCM’s 75th season! The inspiring list of donors in this annual report tells us how and why. You, our enthusiastic, loyal audience members and donors, are the ..read more

This article appeared in the Redfin Blog on August 4, 2022 “For classical music enthusiasts in Tucson, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music is a local non-profit organization that presents world-class chamber musicians live in concert. Surround yourself with chamber music in an intimate setting that will keep you engaged. You can find these performances in the heart of downtown at the Leo Rich Theatre.” Read the full article > The post AFCM – A Tucson Gem appeared first on Arizona Friends of Chamber Music ..read more

This article appeared in the Marana Chamber of Commerce eNews on March 22, 2022 “I have been a member of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Arizona since 1988, arriving in Tucson in 1987 while on a one-year leave from the University of Maryland. At the end of that year, I was offered a position, with tenure, at the U of A. A member of the philosophy department told me about the AFCM concerts. My wife Constance and I began attending concerts and loved the experience: great music, fabulous musicians, and a friendly ambiance of fellow music lovers. Great concerts flowed: including ..read more

Tucson Adult Chamber Players is a chamber music educational opportunity offered by Arizona Friends of Chamber Music to amateur string, wind, and piano players. This program brings together musicians from all over Tucson and Southern Arizona, builds musical communities, provides world-class learning opportunities, and brings the joy and passion of chamber music into daily life. Musicians work together over a season and then perform in front of a live audience. We welcome you to hear the 2021 Tucson Adult Chamber Players perform. These nine talented amateur chamber music groups will play short s ..read more

It was the generosity of our donors that sustained AFCM when no live concerts were possible last season. Concert income plummeted; donations were down by a third. We shifted spending to the production of a virtual season in order to bring a condensed season to patrons at home. While the lack of ticket revenue was offset by the absence of venue rental costs, we offered the virtual concerts for free while continuing to pay the musicians (because their livelihoods rely upon presenting organizations such as ours) creating an imbalance in our finances. These creative shifts in spending enabled us t ..read more

On November 8, 2021 Tucsonans had the opportunity to engage in an interactive walking tour of Downtown Tucson. In collaboration with Meet Me at Maynards, ten student chamber ensembles from the Fred Fox School of Music performed along a walking route where the public could discover colorful art on buildings while listening to a wide variety of live, acoustic performances. AFCM as part of its mission to support and encourage the next generation of chamber music lovers sponsored the Fred Fox Graduate String Quartet to perform at one of the venues.   The post AFCM Sponsors musical murals appe ..read more

This article appeared in the Tucson Sentinel on January 24, 2023 World-renowned string quartet to perform Arizona Friends of Chamber Music concert Weds. evening Xavier Omar Otero Special to TucsonSentinel.com In perfect unison with the theme of home — a spiritual place of belonging that one instinctively returns to time and again — the emotional impact of its absence and the human capacity for renewal, Takács Quartet cellist and founding member András Fejér reflects on his past and recent work, ahead of a concert in Tucson on Wednesday evening. András Fejér was born in 1955 into a musical ..read more