Tucson, Arizona has a strong, growing independent music culture that focuses on locally grown and locally derived musical genres. The city is home to musical organizations that seek to nurture artists from the local music scene as well as introduce the community to other musical styles from beyond Southern Arizona.
Tucson is home to both home-grown and imported musical styles and influences, including:
Desert Funk / Desert Groove / Roots Music — influenced by Sly and the Family Stone, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson and Billie Holiday
Desert Noir
Desert Rock
Mariachi — an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico
Native American Jazz — blends Native American and non-Native musical traditions
Sonoran Dirty Rock
Tohono O'odham waila
Western Cowboy
Arizona Friends of Chamber Music — brings chamber music artists to Tucson
Tucson Chamber Artists — vocal and instrumental musicians performing masterworks and modern classical music.
Arizona Opera — baroque, bel canto and verismo works, turn-of-the-century masterpieces, operettas and American operas
Desert Bluegrass Association — promotes traditional bluegrass music in Tucson and Southern Arizona
Mexican Institute of Sound — electronic music project created by Mexico City-based DJ and producer Camilo Lara
Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra (SASO)
Tucson Jazz Society — helps develop local jazz and brings jazz musicians to perform in Tucson,
Tucson Junior Strings
Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association — acoustic music and other folk arts
Tucson Masterworks Chorale — 100-voice community choir performing masterworks with orchestra. (oldest community choir in Tucson)
Tucson Symphony Orchestra — the oldest symphony orchestra in the American Southwest
UA Presents — The University of Arizona's performing arts presenter, featuring jazz, classical, opera and world music.
Classical Revolution Tucson — a local nonprofit organization dedicated to making classical music more accessible by bringing it to nontraditional venues.
The annual public-choice music awards — nicknamed the TAMMIES — seeks to recognize local talent by highlighting Tucson's best musical performers. The awards are held in the fall and are sponsored by Tucson Weekly magazine.
Recurring musical festivals and fairs
Tucson Film & Music Festival celebrates the past, present and future of the Tucson, Arizona music and filmmaking scene
Prominent local musicians and bands
The following Tucson-based artists have been featured in a variety of local and national media.
Giand Sand (Howe Gelb)
The Aggressive Sound Session a.k.a "The A.S.S" —1994-2002
Alter Der Ruine — power noise / electronic music / industrial music
Black Sun Ensemble — psychedelic rock
Blynd — Hard Rock, Hardcore 1998–2008
Cadillac Steakhouse
Calexico — musical style is influenced by traditional Latin sounds of mariachi and Tejano music; blends "jazzy-rock with traditional Mexican music"
Friends of Dean Martinez — instrumental rock/post-rock band, americana tunes with influences from electronica, ambient, lounge.
Los Gallegos
Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta — psychedelic, indie, mambo, cumbia and jazz
Established choirs and choral groups
Tucson Boys Chorus
Tucson Girls Chorus
Tucson Masterworks Chorale
University Community Chorus, University of Arizona
Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Tucson Desert Harmony Chorus
Southern Arizona Women's Chorus
Sons of Orpheus - Male Choir of Tucson
Tucson Women's Chorus
Arizona Repertory Singers
Reveille Men's Chorus
Desert Voices
Temple of Music and Art — live Theatre venue
Tucson Music Hall
Centennial Hall
Fox Tucson Theatre
The Rialto Theatre
Club Congress
The Rock
