The Tucson Desert Song Festival is celebrating Leonard Bernstein this year with a festival of festivals.
• There’s the song fest, with its impressive lineup of up-and-coming young vocalists and musicians. Thirty events over 20 days now through Feb. 4.
• Ravinia Festival’s Ravinia Steans Music Institute from Chicago returns once again, building on a relationship it’s had with the Tucson event since year two back in 2014. Ravinia Steans vocalists join pianist Kevin Murphy for a Bernstein’s greatest hits event “Bernstein and Friends” on Jan. 29.
• And new to this year’s festival is the acclaimed New York Festival of Song, whose founders Michael Barrett and Steven Blier are teaming up with Arizona Friends of Chamber Music for “Bernstein Bash” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31.