Phoenix Pan Rising Festival
Discover why it's virtually impossible not to be happy in the presence of steel pan music! ¶À¼Ò±¬ÁÏ is proud to host Phoenix's annual celebration of a quintessential Afro-Caribbean art form, and a sampling of musical styles from around the world.
Thurs, April 3, 2025 | ¶À¼Ò±¬ÁÏ
11:00 am Free Clinic, featuring Robert Greenidge | Music Building, Room M104
7:30 pm Concert | ¶À¼Ò±¬ÁÏ, Heritage Plaza
Concert Admission
$5 suggested donation
The Festival
CLINIC, 11:00 am Start the day by joining a free steel pan clinic, hosted by legendary pannist Ray Holman. He has arranged and recorded with steel bands and artists in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Japan and Europe, including televised performances with the German National Orchestra which showcased his compositions. He composed the highly acclaimed score for Black Orpheus, staged by Crossroads Theatre Company in New Jersey in 1991, and has been a featured performer in film, television and at venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Super Bowl and the St. Lucia Jazz Festival.
CONCERT, 7:30 pm Experience beautiful sounds and diverse repertoires of Arizonan steel pan ensembles. Compositions will range from Calypso & Soca, and reggae, to pop rock.
In addition to ¶À¼Ò±¬ÁÏ's Pan Groove ensemble, enjoy the music of:
• Rhythm Is Life Steel Band, Phoenix
• AZ School for the Arts Steel Band, Phoenix
• Falcon Steel, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
• DV Steel, Desert Vista High School, Tempe
Support ¶À¼Ò±¬ÁÏ Music Students With a Gift Today!
About the Genre & Festival
Known for its unique sound and versatility, the modern is a chromatically pitched percussion instrument, created from 55-gallon steel industrial drums. Played with rubber-tipped straight sticks, steel pans were developed in Trinidad and Tobago during the early-to-mid twentieth century. The instrument's roots, however, extend across continents and centuries.
Established in 2023, the Phoenix Pan Rising Festival is dedicated to gathering people around the steel pan, and the worldwide musical culture it inspires.
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