In today’s society, the universal unhoused crisis never seems to get any better despite efforts from organizations like Tucson’s Primavera Foundation.
The end-of-the-year headlines last week showed homelessness in the U.S. rose 18% in 2024 courtesy the rising cost of living and the lack of affordable housing.
The Primavera Foundation tries to fill some of the gap in Tucson with temporary housing at its three shelters. It also has affordable longer-term housing opportunities at seven rental properties it owns.
Each year, Primavera serves thousands of people, which is why a trio of Tucson musicians decided they would pitch in and do their part to help.
Tenor Daniel Rosenberg, pianist Michael Dauphinais and Tucson Symphony Orchestra principal hornist Nelson Ricardo Yovera Perez will perform a concert of works by Benjamin Britten, Schubert, Bernstein and Marc Blitzstein on Friday, Jan. 3, to benefit Primavera. It is one of two benefit concerts they will do this weekend.
Tucson native Rosenberg, who splits his time between his hometown and Copenhagen with his Norwegian husband, put together Friday’s concert to fill in the downtime between his performances in Gaslight Theatre‘s holiday show “Scrooge: A Merry Miserly Christmas Carol.” The show runs through Jan. 5.
“I wanted to do a fundraiser for Primavera because they want to solve homelessness in Arizona,” he said.
The concert, which the trio calls “Aphelion,” is inspired by the national Music for Food concert series that in 2023 raised more than $110,000 for food pantries in 22 cities nationwide.
“The idea is that you can’t have beautiful music that’s not in a beautiful society,” he said. “We all feel like we have a responsibility to make the music … that benefits society.”
Rosenberg had no trouble recruiting Perez, who has a couple of international competition wins (2023 Sphinx Orchestra Partners Auditions, 2024 International Horn Competition of America), and Dauphinais, an in-demand accompanist and morning host on NPR 89.1 KUAZ.
We don’t see Perez much outside of his role with the TSO; his schedule is pretty full as a frequent sub for major American orchestras including Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. But Dauphinais is a regular on Tucson stages including last April when he famously filled in with a couple of weeks notice to accompany renowned soprano Nicole Cabell in her Tucson Desert Song Festival recital.
Rosenberg, a Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus alumni and graduate of the New England Conservatory and Mannes School of Music, has performed in musical theater including playing the role of Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar” and Leaf in the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” His opera career includes roles in “The Magic Flute,” “Eight Songs for A Mad King,” “Petr Ginz” and “Dialogues of the Carmelites.” He made his professional opera debut in 2023 with On Site Opera in New York.
Friday’s concert begins at 6 p.m. at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, 4440 N. Campbell Ave. Tickets are $25 through eventbrite.com.
On Saturday, Jan. 4, the trio will bring “Aphelion” to the Tubac Center of the Arts 2025 Winter Chamber Recital. The concert, to benefit the arts center, starts at 7 p.m. at the center, 9 Plaza Road in Tubac. Tickets are $30, $25 for arts center members, through tubacarts.org.
