ATC, Tucson choir and Southern Arizona Symphony announce seasons

An international conductor and several musicians are set to make Tucson debuts next season with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra.

Longtime Music Director Linus Lerner has tapped artists from Italy, Israel, Spain and the Czech Republic to join his orchestra in his season of "Symphonic Echoes."

Eric Holtan's True Concord Voices & Orchestra, meanwhile, has dubbed its 22nd season "The American Dream," with concerts that celebrate America's 250th birthday. Highlights include Caroline Shaw's powerful "To the Hands" that examines the suffering of refugees and our role in their healing as well as an encore of Jake Runestad's "Dreams of the Fallen," featuring the return of pianist Jeffrey Biegel. 

True Concord performed the work with Biegel at the keyboards and Runestad in the audience in 2018 and recorded it last year. The recording, “A Dream So Bright: Choral Music of Jake Runestad," earned the ensemble its second Grammy nomination.

On the theater stage, Arizona Theatre Company will present a season of gripping dramas, the high-energy musical gem "Ain't Misbehavin'" and the U.S. premiere of Arun Lakra's thriller "Heist," a high-stakes adventure that "delivers thrills and intrigue" and "will keep the audience on the edge of their seats until the very end," according to program notes.

“This is an adventurous, mystery-filled journey throughout the season, packed with humor, friendship and lots of fun,” ATC Kasser Family Artistic Director Matt August said in a news release. “These plays and musical will offer a place for people to laugh, to love, to remember, to unite and to find community. As a major cultural institution, ATC will continue to be an agent of civic pride and conversation for Arizonans statewide.”

As their seasons wind down, the three groups are the latest to announce their upcoming lineups. Season tickets are either on sale now or going on sale soon.

Arizona Theatre Company

ATC, which puts on productions in Tucson and Phoenix, mounts its performances at the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave.; atc.org

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• "Deceived," adapted by Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson from Patrick Hamilton's 1938 psychological thriller "Gaslight"; Sept. 28-Oct. 18
• "Heist," the U.S. premiere of Arun Lakra's high-stakes thriller about a group of thieves out to snag the world's rarest jewels; Nov. 30-Dec. 20
• "Ain’t Misbehavin'," a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance and the genius and music of jazz legend Fats Waller, including "Honeysuckle Rose," "The Joint is Jumpin’" and "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love"; Jan. 25, 2026-Feb. 14
• "The Roommate," Jen Silverman's comedy about an empty-nester Midwesterner who takes in an East Coast stranger as a boarder and develops an unlikley friendship; March 15-April 4
• "Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors," Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen's hilarious redux of Bram Stoker's legendary vampire tale that is part Mel Brooks and part Monty Python; April 26-May 16

Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra

Longtime Music Director Linus Lerner has dubbed the season "Symphonic Echoes," a series of concerts that focus on a specific theme from the opening serenity to the closing celebration. Concerts are held at SaddleBrooke's DesertView Performing Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive; and St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 7575 N. Paseo del Norte; sasomusic.org

• "Echoes of Serenity," with guest conductor Ethan Schmeisser from Israel and oboe soloist Erin Hannigan; Oct. 11-12
• "Echoes of Truth," with Czech Republic guitarist Barbora Kubikova performing Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez," Nov. 15-16
• "Echoes of the West," with violin soloist Holly Mulcahy performing George S. Clinton's "Rose of Sonora" violin concerto, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2026
• "Echoes of Passion," with Israeli soprano Ira Bertman and Spanish bass Jose Antonio Garcia, Feb. 28 and March 1
• "Echoes of Celebration," with Italian pianists Marco Schiavo and Sergio Marchegiani performing Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor and Tucson Girls Chorus performing Reena Esmail's "I Rise: Women in Song," April 11-12

True Concord Voices & Orchestra

The two-time Grammy-nominated ensemble, under the baton of Music Director Eric Holtan, is raising its voice to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. Performances are held at various locations; trueconcord.org

• "Voices of Immigrants: Folk Songs from the Irish, English, Scandinavian, Jewish, Mexican and Cuban Traditions," Oct. 17-19
• "Give Me Your Tired," Nov. 21-23
• "Lessons & Carols by Candlelight: An American Christmas," Dec. 11-14
• "Holiday Special," Dec. 17
• "Music of the Pioneers," featuring works by Copland and Stephen Foster, Jan. 16-18
• "I Dream a World," with Runestad's "Dreams of the Fallen" and Boyer's "Dreaming a World," Feb. 27-March 1, 2026
• "West Side Story & The Great American Songbook," April 17-19

Close-Up recitals:

• Will Liverman, Jan. 20, 2026, UA's Holsclaw Hall
• Filigree, March 3, St. Philips in the Hills Music
• Jennifer Johnson Cano, April 7, Holsclaw Hall

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