Arizona Senior Academy

The Smart Way to (un)Retire

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Testimonials

Making presentations at the Arizona Senior Academy is always a joy and a challenge, because I have to work a little harder to stay one step ahead of the very sharp audience. … And the lovely desert location helps keep us all stimulated.

I’ve given talks in venues across the country, and I always look forward to returning to Academy Village. The setting is superb and the venue comfortable—and a speaker couldn’t ask for a more responsive, more receptive audience.

The Arizona Senior Academy provides a comfortable space with great acoustics … This ensures a great time for both audience and performer. It is a fantastic venue in a beautiful desert setting. The icing on the cake is the audience — engaged and eager to hear what the performer has to offer.

Designed to bring together individuals with intellectual curiosity in a stimulating environment, [Academy Village] is a successful model for creative retirement that is being used by several other American universities.

ASA is a very unique venue that offers a very intimate feel that I truly appreciate as a musician. … A Hidden Gem in the Desert.

The first time I performed at the Arizona Senior Academy I offered two options to the audience for an encore: Chopin or Schoenberg. Who could imagine an audience whose resounding answer would be ‘SCHOENBERG!’ Clearly, this response demonstrates unusually open, perceptive ears!

A treasure on the eastside.

The opportunity to preview University of Arizona concerts in such a receptive venue, both audience and acoustic-wise, makes the Senior Academy a unique place for us performers. … It is always a great pleasure to perform/lecture at the Arizona Senior Academy.

Performing at the Arizona Senior Academy, in their gorgeous location on the eastern side of Saguaro National Park East, is a high point of the year for both my students and myself. The audience and administration are very welcoming to UA students and faculty, and the subsequent question-and-answer period is always informative.

Playing at the Academy offers the performer the unique experience of an audience that is simultaneously appreciative and stimulating. The questions that follow can lead to unusual and thought-provoking turns of conversation, both during the performance hour and at the congenial luncheon that so often follows. What a great place to play!

We have always enjoyed performing at the Academy. A gorgeous spot, a wonderful piano, a fantastic audience and exceptional hosts who make their guests feel really special. Does not get better than that!

I’ve given public lectures around the world, and found the questions asked here at the ASA to be some of the most thoughtful and perceptive that I’ve ever gotten!

Concerts and Lectures

Mar. 6: TED Talks
Mar. 27: “Trade in the Time of Trump”
Mar. 14: Understanding Mexican History through Frida Kahlo and her Artwork
Mar. 28: Vaquero to Cowboy—a Cultural Exchange
Feb 26: “Classic Jazz, the Gus Woodrow Trio”