The Phoenix-based Musical Instrument Museum, housing more than 15,000 musical instrument from nearly 200 countries and territories in the world, is the largest of its kind. It offers a historical look at the artistic merit of the instruments and the cultures they come from.
To celebrate the best that music can offer, Musical Instrument Museum hosts a series of events in March that appeals to all ages.
Interpreti Veneziani
Saturday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $47.50 – $52.50
The great talent of the musicians who compose Interpreti Veneziani permits them to interpret baroque, classical and modern repertoire with virtuosity, involving emotionality and interpretive variety – the keys to success with the audience and the critics – in every concert. Their important achievements include appearances in the Melbourne, Australia and Bayreuth, Germany music festivals as well as concerts at Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the Osaka Symphony Hall (broadcast live over Japanese radio), and the Tokyo Suntory and Kjoi Halls.
Paul Galbraith
Tuesday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $32.50 – $37.50
Internationally renowned as a brilliant innovator of the classical guitar, Paul Galbraith has been working since the 1980s toward expanding the technical limits of his instrument, while he expands the quantity and quality of its repertoire. The originality of his musical personality has shown through in a series of critically acclaimed recordings of works by Bach, Haydn, and Brahms, along with his own arrangements of folk tunes from various countries.
Mini Music Makers Series
Wednesday, March 6
9:30-10 a.m. for children ages 0-18 months
10:15-10:50 a.m. for children ages 18 months-3 years
11-11:45 a.m. for children ages 3-5 years
Tickets: $12 per class or $40 for all four
Introduce your child to the wonderful world of music! MIM’s Mini Music Makers Series, an early childhood music-education program, aims to enrich children’s lives by providing a safe, interactive, and engaging environment for children to explore a variety of music from around the world. Each class is structured around developmentally appropriate activities for children to interact with and create their own music. This session’s classes will focus on the sights and sounds of Latin American music. Reservations required. To reserve a space, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org.
Leipzig String Quartet
Wednesday, March 6, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $42.50-$47.50
Founded in 1988, the widely acclaimed Leipzig String Quartet is one of the most exciting string quartets in the international chamber music scene today. The foursome has won global recognition, including the ARD International Competition in Munich snd the Brüder-Busch Award, both in 1991, and the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 1992. The string quartet is described as “superbly integrated” by the Washington Post. Currently, the ensemble concertizes expansively throughout Europe, Africa, Central and South America, Australia, Japan, Israel, and other countries in Asia. They also perform at a number of major music festivals.
Jeff Peterson, Keola Beamer, and Moanalani Beamer: The Beauty of Hawaiian Guitar
Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $34.50-$39.50
This concert brings together Hawaiian legend Keola Beamer, who has stretched the boundaries of slack key guitar music while remaining true to the soul of its deeply Hawaiian roots, with a rising star of the next generation of slack key players, Jeff Peterson. Both are featured on the soundtrack of the film “The Descendants,” starring George Clooney. Together, they present an evening of superb guitar that explores the beauty of Hawaiian music as it reflects its native land, the range of Hawai‘i’s many cultural influences, and the complexity of technique that has shaped the distinctively resonant sounds of Hawai‘i. They are joined by lovely dancer Moanalani Beamer, who brings hula and Hawaiian chants to the stage and adds musical texture with ancient Hawaiian instruments.
John Jorgenson and Michael Nesmith
Saturday, March 9, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35.50-$42.50
Details coming soon.
David Wax Museum
Sunday, March 10, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $19.50-$24.50
The music of the David Wax Museum is a rhythmic stew of American and Mexican folk traditions, with a dash of Eastern European influence mixed in. It’s an inventive blend of piano, horns, guitars, violin, accordion, upright bass, and traditional Mexican instruments into an energetic and charming style. David Wax and Suz Slezak form the artistic core of David Wax Museum and, together with multi-instrumentalist Greg Glassman, fuse traditional Mexican folk with American roots and indie rock to create a Mexo-Americana aesthetic. With an illustration in The New Yorker, ranking number 8 on Paste magazine’s list of the Best Live Acts of 2011, and a nod from Time magazine as one of the top 10 acts of 2011’s South by Southwest, David Wax Museum has become one of the hottest new indie bands around.
Mini Music Makers Series
Wednesday, March 13
9:30-10 a.m. for children ages 0-18 months
10:15-10:50 a.m. for children ages 18 months-3 years
11-11:45 a.m. for children ages 3-5 years
Tickets: $12 per class or $40 for all four
Introduce your child to the wonderful world of music! MIM’s Mini Music Makers Series, an early childhood music-education program, aims to enrich children’s lives by providing a safe, interactive, and engaging environment for children to explore a variety of music from around the world. Each class is structured around developmentally appropriate activities for children to interact with and create their own music. This session’s classes will focus on the sights and sounds of Latin American music. Reservations required. To reserve a space, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org.
Administrators and Curriculum Coordinators Day
Wednesday, March 13, 2-4 p.m.
Tickets: Free (advanced registration required)
The Musical Instrument Museum is inviting administrators and curriculum coordinators from public, charter and private schools from Arizona for a free program to learn about the unique educational resource available in their own backyard. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the museum on their own following the program. Reservations required. To reserve a space, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org.
Willie K
Wednesday, March 13, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $34.50-$39.50
The son of influential Hawaiian musician Manu Kahaiali’i, Willie K had previously played an essential role in the development of contemporary Hawaiian music. Equally inspired by jazz, blues, and R&B, Willie K had provided a modern twist to the traditional sounds of his homeland. A Hawaiian phenomenon, Willie K is undoubtedly the only artist in the world who can go into an Irish pub in the middle of Maui and play anything from indigenous acoustic Hawaiian music to jazz, reggae, rock, country, and even opera – and not only get away with it but leave everyone within earshot slack-jawed in astonishment.
Arizona Opera Up Close Series: Bold + Bellisimo!
Thursday, March 14, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $37.50-$42.50
The three international stars of Il Trovatore bring strength, beauty, and vocal prowess to MIM Music Theater, illuminating some of opera’s greatest hits and their personal favorites. Hear the voices of Michelle Capalbo, Indra Thomas, and Dongwon Shin soar in an intimate venue.
Get the Beat! World Drumming Series: Celtic Drumming
Saturday, March 16, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tickets: $12 per class or $40 for four classes
Join the circle and get the beat! Each month, Frank Thompson, founder of AZ Rhythm Connection, offers a chance to experience community drumming for all levels, from absolute beginners to enthusiastic professionals. Each fun, relaxing and family-friendly session will highlight a new culture or genre, plus provide plenty of time for making music and jam sessions. Guest artists and MIM curators will stop in to demonstrate or share information about instruments, cultures, or rhythms. Bring your own drum or use one provided. To register, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org.
MIM Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
Saturday, March 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets: Free with museum admission
Join MIM for a weekend of Irish fun! Enjoy live Celtic music by Tramor, dance performances, exhibit talks and a special menu inspired by Celtic traditions at the Café at MIM. Children can make a St. Patrick’s Day craft and all guests are invited to be Irish for the day and participate in Irish Step and Ceili dance lessons. Visit MIM.org for a full schedule of events.
Altan
Sunday, March 17, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Tickets: $32.50-$42.50
Altan is an Irish folk and traditional music group that was formed in County Donegal, Ireland in 1987. Led by the world-renowned fiddler and vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Altan emerged during the 1990s as one of Ireland’s premier traditional musical groups. From the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard-hitting reels and jigs, Altan has moved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle and has since sold millions of records worldwide. Throughout, there has been the unwavering commitment of the band to bring the beauty of traditional music, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers, to contemporary audiences in a way that brings out all its qualities and destroys none.
MIM Homeschool Day: “STEAM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)
Monday, March 18
Tickets: $8 per student, $8 per chaperone above the 1:5 ratio
The Musical Instrument Museum is pleased to showcase STEAM tours and drumming activities available for homeschool students. During the docent-led tour, students will learn about the materials used to make musical instruments, the way musical instruments are classified, and the science behind sound. Students will participate in hands-on activities in which they will experience firsthand how different materials and playing techniques produce varying sounds. Students will be encouraged to experiment with diverse sounds, as each group plays instruments in the hands-on Experience Gallery. Content and curriculum align with Arizona State Standards in science, social studies, and music education. There will also be a family-friendly menu available at the MIM Café. Docent-led tours begin at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Reservations required. To reserve a space, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org by March 13.
Mini Music Makers Series
Wednesday, March 20
9:30-10 a.m. for children ages 0-18 months
10:15-10:50 a.m. for children ages 18 months-3 years
11-11:45 a.m. for children ages 3-5 years
Tickets: $12 per class or $40 for all four
Introduce your child to the wonderful world of music! MIM’s Mini Music Makers Series, an early childhood music-education program, aims to enrich children’s lives by providing a safe, interactive, and engaging environment for children to explore a variety of music from around the world. Each class is structured around developmentally appropriate activities for children to interact with and create their own music. This session’s classes will focus on the sights and sounds of Latin American music. Reservations required. To reserve a space, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org.
Administrators and Curriculum Coordinators Day
Thursday, March 21, 10 a.m.- Noon
Tickets: Free (advanced registration requited)
The Musical Instrument Museum is inviting administrators and curriculum coordinators from public, charter and private schools from Arizona for a free program to learn about the unique educational resource available in their own backyard. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the museum on their own following the program. Reservations required. To reserve a space, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org.
Music In Motion: Wooden Indian
Thursday, March 21, 6-8:30 p.m.
Tickets: Free with museum admission or $7 performance only
Groove to the sounds of Arizona under the stars and take a musical journey around the world in MIM’s galleries! Wooden Indian is a group of fine young men “who’ve carried their suburban white-boy blues with them into adulthood, who now employ rhythms and melodies to pursue lost ecstasies that the world might offer if it weren’t closed at night.” The music of Wooden Indian is composed by vocalist Wally Boudway and his long-time creative collaborator Ross Andrews, and enacted in a joint effort with the Thunder Choir, which comprises of David Moroney (bass, drum kit, percussion), Greg Muller (drum kit), James Hanna (bass, percussion), Patrick Rowland (piano, synthesizer, percussion), and Tony Patino (samples, synthesizer, banjo). The band once referred to as Harem Dream Musique, Wooden Indian blends elements of folk-blues, avant-garde electric rock, Afro-pop, soundtrack, and world music into a concoction unlike any other, and yet as fluid, melodic, and moody as anything you’ve ever heard until now.
SF Jazz Collective
Thursday, March 21, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $34.50-$39.50
If you aren’t already familiar with the eight artists who comprise the SFJAZZ Collective, you will be. As soloists, composers and bandleaders, they represent what’s happening now in jazz. More than master instrumentalists, each member is possessed of a totally individual creative voice, working collectively to express a unified musical identity. They also demonstrate that jazz has truly become an international language. Hailing from Puerto Rico, New York, Venezuela, Philadelphia, New Zealand, and Israel, the Collective’s multi-cultural lineup mirrors the explosion of jazz talent around the globe.
Museum Encounter: Nathan McEuen
Friday, March 22, 2:30-3 p.m.
Tickets: Free with museum admission
Spend an afternoon with Nathan McEuen, son of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s John McEuen, as he performs on his father’s guitar, from which he learned to play, which is currently on display in MIM’s Artist Gallery. Nathan is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and producer of more than five full-length albums, while logging more than two thousand live performances, with highlights including the “American Idol” season finale with Steve Martin, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and multiple trips to the Grand Ole Opry. Hear Nathan’s stories from the road, what it was like growing up in the music business, and everything about the guitar that started it all!
Al Stewart
Saturday, March 23, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $34.50-$39.50
Al Stewart is a Scottish singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician, who has been an amazingly prolific and successful musician for 40 years and counting. Working in an array of stylistic modes and musical genres, he has had a successful career without concerning himself too much about trends and the public taste. Stewart came to stardom as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed his own unique style of combining folk-rock songs with delicately woven tales of characters and events from history. Stewart is best known for his 1976 hit single “Year of the Cat,” the title song from the platinum album of the same name.
Mini Music Makers Series
Wednesday, March 27
9:30-10 a.m. for children ages 0-18 months
10:15-10:50 a.m. for children ages 18 months-3 years
11-11:45 a.m. for children ages 3-5 years
Tickets: $12 per class or $40 for all four
Introduce your child to the wonderful world of music! MIM’s Mini Music Makers Series, an early childhood music-education program, aims to enrich children’s lives by providing a safe, interactive, and engaging environment for children to explore a variety of music from around the world. Each class is structured around developmentally appropriate activities for children to interact with and create their own music. This session’s classes will focus on the sights and sounds of Latin American music. Reservations required. To reserve a space, please contact Annabel Rimmer at 480-245-6919 or grouptours@MIM.org
MIM Musical Interludes Series Featuring ASU: Keyboard Area Recital
Wednesday, March 27, 10:30 a.m.
Tickets: Free with museum admission or $7 performance only
Please join the talented students of the ASU Keyboard area for a recital featuring the piano in all facets of performance, from solo literature by Chopin and Liszt and music for piano duet by Debussy and Britten to the great chamber works of Beethoven and Brahms. The piano’s versatility will be showcased in a concert offering something for everyone.