Audio On Demand

2012

Sean Jones re: Suite Life: A Billy Strayhorn Birthday Bash - 11/20/2012
Pittsburgh jazz trumpeter Sean Jones talks about “Suite Life: A Billy Strayhorn Birthday Bash,” a celebration on Nov. 24, 2012, of Pittsburgh jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and Duke Ellington's collaborator Billy Strayhorn at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater. Jones will lead his Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, with commentary from Strayhorn's nephew, Greg Morris, who administers Strayhorn's estate. Jones also talks about touring with jazz luminaries, and teaching at Duquesne University.

Bach Choir - Time Remembered, Time Forgotten - 10/09/2012
Artistic Director Thomas Douglas talks about the first concerts of the Bach Choir's "Time Voyagers" season, including the Pittsburgh premiere of "Alzheimer's Stories" by Robert S. Cohen. Other works on the program for October 13 & 14, 2012 include Howard Hanson's "Song of Democracy" on texts by Walt Whitman, Rachmaninoff's famous Vocalise, and two pieces by Diane Benjamin.

Plein Air Mt. Lebanon - 10/01/2012
They'll be painting the town, Oct. 1-7, during the first-ever Plein Air Mt. Lebanon, an event that turns outdoor art into a spectator sport with two dozen professional artists, prizes, and a "paint-out" open to the general public with celebrity participants. Local architectural illustrator and watercolorist David Csont explains how the week will unfold and how you can watch or get involved.

Marvin Hamlisch (2007 interview) - 08/08/2012
Marvin Hamlisch (1944-2012) chats with Jim Cunningham at QED's Carolyn Byham Studio at Theater Square during RADical Days on Oct. 6, 2007.

Tim Hartman - 07/12/2012
Pittsburgh actor and editorial cartoonist Tim Hartman talks about his role as the Constable in CLO's "Fiddler on the Roof." He's appeared on Broadway, in regional theater, and despite his six-foot, six-inch frame had small roles in such films as "Silence of the Lambs," "The Piano Lesson," and "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh." As a cartoonist, Hartman is syndicated in 30 newspapers.

David Allen Wehr - 06/19/2012
David Allen Wehr talks about his June 24 duo piano recital with musical partner Cynthia Raim at Lincoln Hall in Foxburg, PA, to include Rachmaninoff's Suite #1, Bach's 2-piano concerto, jazz pieces composed for the duo by Joe Utterback, Brahms Hungarian Dances, and Milhaud's Scaramouche suite.

Andrew S. Paul - PICT's The Pitman Painters - 06/11/2012
Based on a true story, The Pitmen Painters chronicles a group of English miners who hired an art teacher and within a few years became celebrated by contemporary artists and critics. Director Andrew Paul sent his actors to art class, and had them learn the most difficult working-class accent. So where can you see the art of the pitmen and the actors? Listen to the podcast.

Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival - 05/16/2012
The 2012 Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival (May 20 - June 3) features a song cycle by Osvaldo Golijov with soprano Lara Bruckman, clarinetist David Krakauer, and a MIDI accordion; as well as Kosher Gospel with Joshua Nelson, and jazz with the Ortner-Roberts Duo plus special guests. Director Aron Zelkowicz previews the Festival.

Matisse's 1001 Nights - 04/19/2012
Henri Matisse's “The Thousand and One Nights,” is on view for just 99 days at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The multi-panel paper cut-out's imagery is suggestive of the story of Scheherazade. Louise Lippincott, curator of Fine Arts at the Carnegie Museum of Art, tells the stories in and of this work.

Around the World in 80 Days - 04/12/2012
Marcia Milgrom Dodge directs Mark Brown's adaptation of Jules Verne's whimsical "Around the World in 80 Days" for Pittsburgh Public Theater. Dodge directed and choreographed the 2010 Tony-nominated revival of Ragtime, and has worked on numerous revivals and nostalgic dramatic works. She reveals a few Pittsburgh-related surprises in her PPT production.

PICT's Alan Stanford - 04/03/2012
2012 Artist-in-Residence Alan Stanford (of Dublin's Gate Theater) talks about PICT's season, whose theme is "Get Turned On!" First up is Sarah Ruhl's "In the Next Room or the vibrator play," followed by "The Pitmen Painters" about English coal miners who became artists. This season's big event is a Chekhov Celebration featuring major works, one-acts, vaudevilles, and plays inspired by Chekhov.

CMU Music Centennial - Robert Page - 03/29/2012
CMU's Robert Page details the alumni who will gather at the Benedum Center for the Carnegie Mellon School of Music's Centennial Celebration on March 31, 2012 and a repeat performance at New York's Carnegie Hall on April 2nd.

James Gourlay "Best-Loved Marches" - 03/20/2012
It's another kind of March Madness for the River City Brass, directed by James Gourlay. He invites listeners to vote for their favorite marches to be featured on the band's March 24 - April 5 concerts at 8 locations, and talks about the various forms of marches.

Matthew Bengtson - 03/08/2012
Steinway Society guest Matthew Bengtson champions the works of Szymanowski and Scriabin on his recordings and in his Pittsburgh recital. A CMU guest faculty member last fall, Bengtson has wide-ranging musical interests and is serious about such outside interests. He plays high-level chess, holds a degree in computer science from Harvard, and his golf handicap is 2.

Eric Burns, playwright - 02/01/2012
Eric Burns' first play receives its world premiere Feb 3-19 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Burns is a veteran TV journalist who began his career at WQED in 1971. He looks back on his work as a journalist at NBC and Fox, and what might have been at PBS. A high school majorette serves as the inspiration for the play, "Mid-Strut," which won Burns the 2010 Eudora Welty Emerging Playwrights' Award.

2011

Bob Gangewere's "Palace of Culture" - 12/15/2011
Former editor of Carnegie Magazine Robert Gangewere has written the first history of a cultural conglomeration that has served millions and inspired the likes of Andy Warhol, August Wilson, and David McCullough. (U. of Pgh Press, 289 pages)

Microscopic Opera - Three Decembers - 11/16/2011
A preview of Three Decembers, the opera by Jake Heggie (composer of Dead Man Walking), based on Terrance McNally's Christmas Letters. Lisa Ann Goldsmith directs with Mary Gould as American musical stage icon and absentee mother Madeline Mitchell, and Erica Olden and Daniel Teadt as her grown children, Bea and Charlie. Andres Cladera conducts an 11-piece orchestra.

Andres Cardenes - 10/19/2011
Former Pittsburgh Symphony concertmaster Andres Cardenes gives his only local recital of the year at Chatham University at 2:00 pm on Oct. 22 to benefit the Oakland Girls Choir, of which his daughter, Isabel, is a member. He talks about the choir, building a recital program, his recording projects, students at CMU, and more.

PNME Week 03 - 07/19/2011
For July 22 & 23, the theme is "In the Wake." Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble Artistic Director Kevin Noe has solicited photographs of deceased loved ones to use in the staging of this concert, whose music, lighting, and sound design will evoke the complex and sometimes incongruous emotions surrounding the loss of someone special.

PNME Week 02 - 07/11/2011
Artistic Director and Conductor Kevin Noe talks about the theme of Week 2, "Sappho's Sparrows," which encompasses Joseph Schwantner's "Sparrows" as well as "Psappha" by Xenakis, "Thrafsmata" by MacMillan, and "King of the Sun" by Stephen Hartke.

Gift To America - 05/04/2011
Geoffrey Hitch, director of "Gift to America," talks about the play that literally illuminates Maxo Vanka's celebrated murals at St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale that blend religious and political themes. Performances May 4th-7th will benefit the restoration and lighting of the work of the "Diego Rivera of Pittsburgh," as musician and artist David Byrne has called him.

The Alice Project - Marianne Weems - 04/19/2011
CMU's Marianne Weems directs The Alice Project at the Chosky Theater through April 23rd. She's best known as Artistic Director of Brooklyn's world-renowned performance and media company, The Builders Association. Her works combine media, text, sound, architecture and stage performance and have been staged at major venues in London, Rome, Melbourne and Singapore.

Composer Eugene Phillips - 03/23/2011
Orion Quartet violinists Todd and Daniel Phillips will premiere the Trio Concertante by their father, 91 year old retired Pittsburgh Symphony violinist Eugene Phillips. They'll be joined by cellist Marcy Rosen. Eugene talks about his new 12-tone work and the concert series at Chatham University that has featured his sons through the years. He also shares his memories from the PSO, where he began under Fritz Reiner in 1947.

Cello Fury - 03/15/2011
Pittsburgh's cello-rock quartet Cello Fury (formerly Cellofourte) has released its first CD since the personnel and name change. The award-winning acoustic group will play on March 18 at Duquesne University's Red Ring restaurant. Members Nicole Myers and Simon Cummings talk with Jim Cunningham about the group, their new CD, and their backgrounds.

Susan Medley - 03/01/2011
Susan Medley debuts as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale on March 5th & 6th, 2011 conducting Haydn's The Creation. Shortly after taking charge in January, she talked about Haydn's masterpiece and her extensive choral background, which includes work at Carnegie Hall, W & J, the Junior Mendelssohn, and as far away as Malaysia.

Elena Ulyanova, piano - 02/23/2011
Russian-born pianist Elena Ulyanova, now a Johnstown resident, performs Friday, Feb. 25th at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. She tells Jim Cunningham about her passion for Rachmaninoff's music, life in her Crimean hometown, life in Johnstown, her Russian training, her CDs and upcoming concerts.

Bodiography "108 Minutes" - 02/17/2011
Bodiography founder and director Maria Caruso is a "gutsy" choreographer. Instead of focusing on the body's exterior beauty, she explores cutting-edge internal medicine in 2010's "Heart," and in her new full-length ballet "108 Minutes" which she developed in collaboration with the McGowan Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Ted Pappas directs "Camelot" - 01/18/2011
Ted Pappas directs Lerner & Lowe's masterpiece "Camelot" to mark the musical's 50th anniversary with a youthful cast of 22, a live orchestra, and a cavalcade of memorable songs. Pittsburgh Public Theater begins previews on Jan. 20th.

2010

First Night - Dan Kamin - 12/30/2010
Local mime artist Dan Kamin coached Johnny Depp and Robert Downey, Jr. for their title roles in Benny and Joon and Chaplin and now works with symphony orchestras. He'll provide a single-handed simulacrum of all the performing arts in Dan Kamin's Cheap Evening of Expensive Theater at the August Wilson Center for First Night 2011.

Auld Lang Syne II - 12/28/2010
Pittsburgh Opera's General Director, Christopher Hahn, talks about the company's New Year's Eve gala concert at Carnegie Music Hall, returning by popular demand.

Empire Brass w/Elizabeth von Trapp - 12/13/2010
Rolf Smedvig, solo trumpet of the Empire Brass, sings the praises of Elizabeth von Trapp, of the famous "Sound of Music" family. Smedvig talks of his work and friendships with Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Berstein, his appearance on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and his utter delight with von Trapp, who until recently was unknown to him.

Dance Alloy Theater's 35th Fall Concert - 12/01/2010
Artistic Director Greer Reed-Jones presents a retrospective honoring this repertory company's previous artistic directors and dancers. She tells Stephen Baum about a work that premiered on Mister Rogers, a nontraditional Swan Lake, and her own work that combines photos, video, text and dance into a 10-minute tribute to her predecessors danced by the company's two veterans and three new members.

Carnegie Mellon Holiday Concert - 12/01/2010
Robert Page conducts the Carnegie Mellon Concert Choir, Repertory Chorus and Philharmonic live on QED 89.3 at noon, Friday, December 3, repeating that evening at 7. Maestro Page gives QED's Stepohen Baum a preview.

Pittsburgh Song Collaborative - 11/17/2010
The Pittsburgh Song Collaborative debuts with Robert Schumann's song cycle Dichterliebe, based on poems by Heinrich Heine. Pianist/musicologist Benjamin Binder and photographer Tom Persinger talk about merging Schumann's 1840 song cycle with evocative contemporary images made using 19th-century photographic methods.

Quantum Theatre - When the Rain Stops Falling - 11/10/2010
It's the year 2039. A big fish falls from the sky in Alice Springs, Australia, as Andrew Bovell's "When the Rain Stops Falling" begins. Quantum Theater Artistic Director Karla Boos talks about this play's parallel themes of family and environmental crises through time and space from 1959 forward, and from London to Ayers Rock. Known for its site-specific work, Quantum stages this play in the vast former Iron City Brewery through Nov. 21, 2010.

2010 Three Rivers Film Festival - 11/09/2010
Pittsburgh Filmmakers' Director Andrew Swensen singles out a few notable films and themes including movies about musicians Glenn Gould, Phil Ochs, and Hildegard von Bingen; a restored and expanded edition of Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and a celebration of local filmmaker Tony Buba.

David Pittsinger in "South Pacific" - 11/05/2010
American bass-baritone David Pittsinger performs in the world's major opera houses. He made his Met Opera debut as Truelove in The Rake's Progress, and was named 'Artist of the Year' for his dual portrayals of Mephisto with Pittsburgh Opera in the Gounod and Boito operas. Since 2008, he has sung the role of Emile de Becque in Lincoln Center Theater's acclaimed revival of South Pacific.

Chatham Baroque "Mediterranean Odyssey" - 09/23/2010
Chatham Baroque welcomes its former violinist Julie Andrijeski for concerts of music from Italy, Spain, and France featured in the group's discography. The core members talk about all the programs in their home season, and upcoming collaborations with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Pittsburgh Opera, and more.

Becky Billock, piano - 09/22/2010
The Pittsburgh Concert Society begins its 2010-2011 season on Sep. 26 at CMU's Kresge Recital Hall. Pianist Becky Billock is one of two major audition winners on the first concert. She previews her program of works by Mozart, J. S. Bach, and American composers Emma Lou Diemer and Marion Bauer.1121itsosb 

Bicentennials on the Bluff - 09/15/2010
Pianist David Allen Wehr, artistic director of Duquesne University's multiple " ... on the Bluff" series, previews three fall concerts providing insights into music by Chopin and Schumann, their masterpieces, innovations, and rarities.

White Tie Group - 09/01/2010
The White Tie Group, a trio of Pittsburgh Symphony players, returns to the First Fridays at the Frick series on  Sep. 3, 2010. Pianist Harold Smoliar (Principal English Horn of the PSO) and bassist Don Evans (Associate Principal Bass) talk with Jim Cunningham.

Ned McGowan, composer - 07/30/2010
Pittsburgh-born Ned McGowan talks his background as a composer and flutist living in Amsterdam, and about "Radiance," his 40-minute world premiere commissioned by the PNME as a result of winning the ensemble's 2010 Harvey Gaul competition.

PNME Concert 04 - 07/26/2010
Kevin Noe previews the season finale of the PNME, including one of Chris O'Riley's Radiohead transcriptions, David Lang's Sweet Air, David Skidmore's Requiem for Percussion, Frederick Rzewski's Lost and Found (whose score demands nudity), and David McGowan's Radiance.

PNME Concert 03 - 07/19/2010
Executive Artistic Director and conductor Kevin Noe talks about the July 23rd & 24th concerts built around György Ligeti's 11-movement Musica Ricercata. Interspersed will be works by David Stock, David Skidmore, Thierry de Mey, Emmanuel Sejourn, and Kevin Noe himself.

Pappas directs "Art" at the Public - 06/11/2010
How would you react if one of your best friends paid a small fortune for a large, completely white painting? That's the premise of Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning play, "Art," staged by Pittsburgh Public Theater Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas at the O'Reilly Theater. Pappas talks about the play, and his own art collecting.

RCBB's James Gourlay - 05/25/2010
Meet James Gourlay, the Scottish-born conductor and tuba virtuoso who becomes Music Director of the River City Brass Band in September, 2010. Currently director of Britain's Grimethorpe Colliery Band, he has plans to take the RCBB to a higher artistic level, refocus its programming, and get John Q. Public playing in a brass band. As an orchestral musician, he has played for some of the world's most renowned conductors.

Cincopation Wind Quintet w/Bill Larson - 05/21/2010
Rota, Poulenc, and Brahms are on the menu, when the Cincopation Wind Quintet and guest pianist Bill Larson perform at the First Unitarian Church in Shadyside, Fri. May 21, 2010 at 7:30 pm. Flutist Tara Yaney and pianist Bill Larson chat with QED 89.3's Stephen Baum.

Betsy Burleigh on Bach - 04/13/2010
Betsy Burleigh, Music Director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, will conduct her "desert island" favorite, Bach's B Minor Mass, on April 18, 3 pm, at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. She talks about why Bach wrote a Mass that couldn't be used for a service, and that no one asked for, and why it's so rewarding to conduct and hear.

Chatham Baroque - Trio con Brio - 04/08/2010
Chatham Baroque features its core members Andrew Fouts, Patricia Halverson, and Scott Pauley in solo and trio repertoire. They've been touring the Baroque music circuit all season with some unusual repertoire and as Patty says, they're 'bringing it home' for their season finale.

Squonk Opera's Mayhem & Majesty - 03/11/2010
Multimedia performance company Squonk Opera has played on Broadway, has customized shows to celebrate Pittsburgh and other cities, and sent musical messages into the cosmos in 2008's "Astro-Rama." At the Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre, Squonk Opera premieres "Mayhem & Majesty." Co-Artistic Director, composer, and keyboardist Jackie Dempsey offers a preview.

Microscopic Opera Company - 03/04/2010
Pittsburgh's newest (and smallest) opera company debuts with Milton Grainger's "The Proposal," and the world premiere staging of Jake Heggie's "To Hell and Back." QED's Stephen Baum interviews the MOC's creative team: Erica Olden, Andres Cladera, and Lisa Ann Goldsmith.

Time After Time - 03/01/2010
The Conservatory Theater Company at Point Park University presents the world premiere of "Time After Time," based on Karl Alexander's novel  about H. G. Wells' pursuit of Jack the Ripper through time -- from 19th century London to today's America. QED 89.3's Jim Cunningham talks with the creators of "Time After Time."

Such Sweet Sorrow - 02/19/2010
For Lent, Chatham Baroque expresses the sorrows of the Virgin Mary through Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, instrumental sonatas and laments. Special guests Abigail Haynes Lennox, soprano, and Ian Howell, countertenor, describe the nature of this Stabat Mater, written by a master of comic opera.

La Danse & Oscar season - 02/10/2010
Andrew Swensen of Pittsburgh Filmmakers describes the documentary "La Danse," an inside look at the Paris Opera Ballet; and the upcoming schedule of Oscar contenders.

Stephen Massicotte "The Clockmaker" - 02/02/2010
After last season's hit, "Mary's Wedding," City Theatre stages the US premiere of Stephen Massicotte's newest play, "The Clockmaker." The Canadian playwright talks about his inventive approach to narrative timelines and his intent to do the unexpected.

1934: A New Deal for Artists - 02/01/2010
The Frick's Sarah Hall gives a tour of "1934: A New Deal for Artists," an exhibition from the Smithsonian to mark the 75th anniversary of the Public Works of Art Program. The show features 52 works by 51 diverse artists who captured portraits, cityscapes, city life, landscapes and rural life in a unique visual record of America at a specific time.

2009

Dance Alloy's Greer Reed-Jones - 12/02/2009
A Pittsburgh native and alumna of Dayton Contemporary Dance Co., Greer Reed-Jones became Artistic Director of Dance Alloy in summer '09. As she prepares her first main stage concert with the Alloy, she talks about her vision for the company, the program "Alloy Unlocked," and meeting her husband, jazz trumpet sensation Sean Jones.

Quantum Theatre's "Candide" - 10/28/2009
Artistic Director Karla Boos and conductor Andres Cladera talk about staging Bernstein's Candide at the former Don Allen Auto City, the work's interesting history, and unique mix of farce and beauty. The leads sing, "You Were Dead, You Know."

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - 10/24/2009
City Theatre Artistic Director Tracy Brigden directs Jeffrey Hatcher's "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde," in which four actors play Hyde. Steubenville native Hatcher is a City Theater favorite [Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Muderers].

Pittsburgh Public Theater 2009-2010 - 10/10/2009
Pittsburgh Public Theater's Ted Pappas previews his company's season of eight productions, starting with "Ella" and including Pappas' own production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Chatham Baroque's Fresh Ayre - 10/08/2009
Patricia Halverson, viola da gamba, tells Jim Cunningham about Chatham Baroque's current concerts of English and Italian sonatas with guest violinist Dana Maiben, Friday's "Wandering Minstrels" event, and the group's recording plans.

Quantum Theater: 36 Views - 08/05/2009
Artistic Director Karla Boos talks about staging Naomi Iizuka�s "36 Views" outdoors at Washington's Landing along the Allegheny River. The multifaceted play involves art forgery, intrigue, romance, and mystery. It starts with the discovery of an ancient Japanese pillow book whose existence could shake the field of Asian antiquities to its core -- If it's genuine.

Violinist Eugene Phillips - 06/18/2009
Retired Pittsburgh Symphony violinist Eugene Phillips previews his upcoming concert of Haydn, Schoenberg, and Schubert with violinist Roger Zahab, violist Paul Silver, and cellists Lauren and Hampton Mallory on June 20. Free admission. See the QED Cultural Calendar for details.

Marvin Hamlisch - 06/18/2009
Hamlisch conducts a tribute to Motown and hits of the '50s and '60s, as the PSO Pops marks Hamlisch's 65th birthday. He talks about "Every Little Step," a behind-the-scenes documentary on the revival of "A Chorus Line," and Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant," his first original film score since 1996.

Arts Festival Update - June 6 - 06/05/2009
La Pocha Nostra performs controversial and politically-charged art. They have staged their own crucifixions, posed as undiscovered New World tribesmen, and now present "Corpo Illicito," a work on the "criminalization of the brown body."

New Muslim Cool - 05/28/2009
Pittsburgh Filmmakers presents a documentary about a Massachussetts Latino convert to Islam who moved to Pittsburgh's North Side to establish a Muslim community. "New Muslim Cool" has been selected to begin the new season of POV on PBS. Screenings at the Melwood Screening Room on May 28 & 29

Whistler Sean Lomax - 05/07/2009
International Whistling Conference champion, featured performer with Cirque du Soleil, and Braddock native Sean Lomax made his Edgewood Symphony debut outdoors in June, 2007. He returns to the ESO Saturday, May 9th at 7:30 at Woodland Hills West Junior High School.

Pgh Ballet Theatre's Cinderella - 04/23/2009
Choreographer Septime Webre speaks about his Cinderella, and PBT's redesigned production. PBT Artistic Director Terrence Orr describes Webre's style, and retiring dancers look ahead and reflect on their dance careers.

Handel's Brockes Passion - 04/09/2009
Handel's early and little-known oratorio passion will be performed at Calvary Episcopal Church, where Alan Lewis first conducted it three years ago. Predating Bach's passions, this interesting work uses a popular text by Barthold Heinrich Brockes. Alan Lewis explains.

Carnegie Mellon Baroque - 04/03/2009
Carnegie Mellon Baroque is the only ensemble that students play in strictly by choice. Director Stephen Schultz previews their April 4th concert, talks about teaching period style for modern instruments, and about his work with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.

CMU's "Collage" Concert - 04/03/2009
It's a 90-minute, non-stop extravaganza on April 3rd, produced by Carnegie Mellon's School of Music. Over 300 faculty and student performers will fill Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall with a kaleidoscopic variety of short jazz and classical works staged by Karla Boos and produced by CMU's Noel Zahler.

Bird Blogger Kate St. John - 03/23/2009
WQED's Director of Information Technology Kate St. John keeps an eagle eye on birds in general and falcons in particular through her oft-updated blog at www.wqed.org/birdblog/

Forum: Arts in Tough Economic Times - 03/04/2009
Pittsburgh Arts funders, organizations and individuals gathered at a public forum organized by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council to discuss their financial outlook and future strategies. Date: March 3, 2009.

Ion Sound Project - 03/02/2009
Keep your eye on Ion Sound Project, melding contemporary and 20th century music with a variety of artistic disciplines. Ion Sound members tell Jim Cunningham about their work with Pittsburgh' KnotDance.

Imani Winds - 02/16/2009
Known for their virtuosity, eclectic programming and original arrangements, the Imani Winds return to Pittsburgh, hometown of bassoonist Monica Ellis. This Grammy-nominated wind quintet gives a career update to Jim Cunningham.

Jane Alexander - 02/10/2009
Emmy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner Jane Alexander stars at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in A Moon to Dance By, by Thom Thomas. Alexander, a former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, talks with QED's Jim Cunningham.

Biava Quartet - 02/06/2009
The Biava Quartet premieres David Stock's String Quartet No. 8 and a new work by Pittsburgh's Albert Glinsky on the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society's Bridges Series, which also offers standard repertoire. The Biava gives a sneak preview.

David Douglass of The King's Noyse - 01/29/2009
The director of The King's Noyse reveals whether his strings are really made of cat gut, and anticipates his ensemble's return for the 40th anniversary of Pittsburgh's Renaissance & Baroque series. David Douglass converses with Jim Cunningham for a January spotlight in PITTSBURGH magazine.

Keith Lockhart to conduct CMU students - 01/16/2009
Boston Pops maestro and CMU alumnus Keith Lockhart will lead the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic at NYC's Carnegie Hall. Noel Zahler, Head of the Carnegie Mellon School of Music, and violin professor Andres Cardenes talk about Lockhart's reunion with this student orchestra.

Pittsburgh Public Theater's Swimming Pool - 01/07/2009
Ted Pappas will direct Mary Zimmerman's adaptation of Ovid's Metamorphoses in a swimming pool on the Public Theater stage. But first, his production staff must navigate uncharted waters.

2008

Richard Armstrong leads Guggenheim Foundation - 12/29/2008
After twelve years as Director of the Carnegie Museum of Art, Richard Armstrong is now the Director of the Guggenheim Foundation, whose museums have an expanding global presence. Richard Armstrong talks with Classical QED's Jim Cunningham.

PICT's "St. Nicholas" - 12/15/2008
Actor Martin Giles and director Andrew Paul discuss Conor McPherson's monodrama "St. Nicholas," in which a vitriolic theater critic's infatuation with an actress draws him into a pact with a vampire.

Southminster Bells - Don Morrison - 11/20/2008
Bells of Allegheny County have been recorded for the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass CD "Songs of Christmas," including the bells at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Mt. Lebanon. Ringing Master Don Morrison reveals the arcane art of change ringing.

Lady with All the Answers - 11/14/2008
Dear 'Curious in the Cultural District.' You asked whether or not you'd enjoy "The Lady With All the Answers" starring Helena Ruoti at the Public. My advice is to listen to this podcast.

Stephen Schultz - 11/10/2008
Baroque flutist and CMU faculty member Stephen Schultz talks about his new CD of concertos by Boismortier, and his November 23 concert with Carnegie Mellon Baroque.

Virginia Madsen - 11/03/2008
Actress Virginia Madsen, an Oscar nominee for her role as Maya in the 2004 film "Sideways," at WQED to conclude her "Freedom of Expression Through Film" campaign, co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

Antony Walker on "Samson and Delilah" - 10/15/2008
Pittsburgh Opera Music Director Antony Walker comments on the company's 2008-2009 season opener, "Samson and Delila."

Ted Pappas - "Radio Golf" and more - 10/01/2008
"Radio Golf," the final play in August Wilson's "Pittsburgh Cycle" comes to Pittsburgh Public Theater. Ted Pappas, Producing Executive Director at the Public, talks about Wilson's play and the other offerings in the 2008-2009 season.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers - 10/01/2008
Pittsburgh Filmmakers Director Andrew Swensen talks with QED's Jim Cunningham about several projects in October: the Global Lens series, Pittsburgh Narratives, Pittsburgh Reframed, and a series highlighting the cigarette in cinema.

Chautauqua - Jonathan Schmitz - 07/31/2008
Archivist Jonathan Schmitz talks about the history of Chautauqua Institution, from famous visitors such as FDR, George Gerswin, and Thomas Edison, to Chautauqua's long-forgotten roller coaster.

Chautauqua - Tom Becker - 07/26/2008
Tom Becker, President of Chautauqua Institution talks about CSO Music Director Stefan Sanderling's inaugural season, facilities upgrades, and the Chautauqua Theatre Company's 25th anniversary celebration.

Chautauqua - Marty Merkley - 07/26/2008
Marty Merkley, Vice President and Director of Programming of Chautauqua Institution tells Jim Cunningham about managing a season filled with more than 2,000 scheduled concerts, lectures, art shows, worship services, and more over nine weeks.

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble - Week 5 - 07/21/2008
Artistic Director Kevin Noe describes "Just Out of Reach," the PNME's world premiere season finale for three actors and ensemble, inspired by Greek mythology.

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble - Week 4 - 07/13/2008
Artistic Director Kevin Noe previews a solo concert by sensational guest percussionist Steve Schick.

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble - Week 3 - 07/07/2008
Executive Artistic Director Kevin Noe explains two timeless 20th century milestones: Messaien's Quartet for the End of Time, and John Cage's 4' 33". Also featured: works by Frederic Rzewski and George Crumb.

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble - Week 2 - 07/01/2008
Kevin Noe talks about performing on July 4; also the solo works Arches for violin by Kevin Puts and Etudes by Ryan Francis; Time Gallery by Paul Moravec, and Arrows by David Heuser. Noe is Executive Artistic Director and Conductor of the PNME.

Cathy Rigby in "Peter Pan" - 06/27/2008
Cathy Rigby tells why she returned to her signature Broadway role for Pittsburgh CLO two years after her 2006 "Peter Pan" farewell tour. She talks about the art of flying, learning to sing, and her other theater projects.

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble - Week 1 - 06/26/2008
Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble Executive Artistic Director Kevin Noe talks about the first concert of the 2008 season, a ticket policy change, and the keys to PNME's success.

"Salome" director Alan Stanford - 06/23/2008
Legendary Irish actor and director Alan Stanford of Dublin's Gate Theatre talks about the history of Oscar Wilde's "Salome," and his reimagining of the play for Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater.

Pittsburgh CLO Season Overview - 06/19/2008
Producing Director Van Kaplan previews CLO's 2008 shows: Peter Pan, Mame, Smoky Joe's Café, Annie Get Your Gun, and West Side Story. Kaplan recalls the 2008 Richard Rogers Awards, won by CLO alumni and siblings Rob & Kathleen Marshall.

Joan Rivers - 06/10/2008
Multi-talented comedienne Joan Rivers talks about her comedy act, philanthropic work, her new play, performing for Queen Elizabeth, working with Fred Rogers and Betty Aberlin, Marvin Hamlsich, Johnny Carson, amateur painting, and her love of opera.

Three Rivers Arts Festival - 06/06/2008
An overview covering the "greening" of this year's event, the "Contained" project's reuse of shipping containers, the Fourth River Project, plays, performances, the Artists' Market and more with festival spokeswoman Lauren Bracey.

"Life on Mars" review by Diana Jannetta - 06/02/2008
Art Critic Diana Jannetta reviews "Life on Mars," the 55th Carnegie International, curated by Douglas Fogle and now on view through Jan. 11, 2009. The International is America's longest-running and most prestigious periodic exhibtion of contemporary art.

Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival - 05/26/2008
Festival founder and director Aron Zelkowicz talks about Israeli connections for the 2008 Festival's "Israel at 60" theme, the orchestral concert on May 28th and the chamber concert on June 1st.

Bach's Lunch: Becky Billock - 05/16/2008
Pianist Becky Billock plays for the Bach's Lunch series on Tue., May 20th in downtown Pittsburgh. She performs in our studio and discusses her background and repertoire. For info on reserving a complimentary lunch, see the QED Cultural Calendar

Actor Stacy Keach - 04/22/2008
Actor Stacy Keach talks about "A Love Like No Other," featuring poems and love letters by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband Robert; and about his upcoming role as Nixon in the national tour of "Frost/Nixon."

Choreographer Derek Deane - 04/16/2008
Choreographer Derek Deane describes his full-length ballet "Alice in Wonderland," as he stages its North American debut with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater.

Poet Jan Beatty - 04/09/2008
Jan Beatty, Pittsburgh poet, writing professor, and host of WYEP's "Prosody" talks with Jim Cunningham about her new book, "Red Sugar." She reads poems and talks about her themes: place, nature, work, class, family, body, sex and love.

Rick Sebak: Invented, Engineered & Pioneered in Pittsburgh - 04/09/2008
Rick Sebak previews "Invented, Engineered & Pioneered in Pittsburgh," his new Pittsburgh History Series special on the ingenuity of Pittsburghers, from those who created Fort Pitt and the Ferris Wheel to the latest researchers in computers and robotics. Premiere: Apr10.

Pittsburgh Opera Music Director Antony Walker sings! - 04/04/2008
Hear Pittsburgh Opera Music Director Antony Walker sing, from the April 1  performance of "Aida" in which he was called upon to voice Radames' part from the pit while conducting! Artistic Director Christopher Hahn tells QED's Jim Cunningham about it.

Artist Craig McPherson - 03/24/2008
Craig McPherson discusses his contemporary drawings of industrial Pittsburgh, now on view at the Frick Art Museum. "Steel: Pittsburgh Drawings by Craig McPherson" includes what may be the largest mezzotint ever produced.

Chatham Baroque on St. Paddy's Delight - 03/14/2008
After playing live for QED 89.3's Ted Sohier, Chatham Baroque and guest flutist Alison Melville talk about their Celtic-inspired concert program, titled "Airing It Out and Keeping it Reel: St. Paddy's Delight," running March 14-16, 2008.

Choreographer Dwight Rhoden - 03/14/2008
Choreographer Dwight Rhoden, a Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre favorite, talks about staging Carl Orff's choral classic, based on earthy Medieval poems and songs found in a 13th-century monastery. Rhoden  also mentions some of his other projects.

Katherine Mueller, Pittsburgh Concert Chorale - 02/29/2008
Pittsburgh Concert Chorale Music Director Katherine Mueller previews "The German Romantics," featuring choral works by Mendelssohn, Brahms and Schubert.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's "Forever Love" - 02/15/2008
A preview of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's "Forever Love," with Septime Webre's "Fluctuating Hemlines" and the world premiere of "Glint," by Point Park-trained choreographer Lauri Stallings, artist Christo Braun, and singer B. E. Taylor.

2007

First Night Pittsburgh 2008 Preview - 12/28/2007
A preview of First Night Pittsburgh 2008 with Kevin McMahon, President of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Mark Bussler on "PA Train Stations" - 12/18/2007
Jim Cunningham interviews film distributor Mark Bussler about the documentary "Pennsylvania Train Stations - Restored and Revitalized," showing adaptive reuse of landmarks that outlived their original purpose.

Pittsburgh soprano Sara Botkin - 12/11/2007
Pittsburgh soprano Sara Botkin describes the mix of classical and popular styles and techniques on her second Christmas CD, "Breath of Heaven," on which she becomes her own choir through multi-tracked vocals.

Don Franklin on Bach and the Baroque - 12/11/2007
Pitt's Don Franklin looks back, as he brings his Bach and the Baroque series to the end of its 16-year run by directing Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Heinz Chapel, co-presented with the Renaissance & Baroque Society.

Robert Page on the 07 CMU Holiday Concert - 12/05/2007
Conductor Robert Page previews his 2007 Carnegie Mellon Holiday Concert. Hear the performance live on QED 89.3 and on the Internet at wqed.org, Fri. Dec. 7 at noon EST. (Repeats 12/14, 7 pm)

"Opera Lady" on "The Elixir of Love" - 11/14/2007
Pittsburgh Opera's "Opera Lady," Beth Parker, tells QED's Jim Cunningham about the company's production of Donizetti's "The Elixir of Love" at the Benedum Center through Sunday, Nov. 18th.

The Candy Butchers - 11/09/2007
Half of the edgy, Australian 4-person circus troupe known as The Candy Butchers visits QED's Ted Sohier. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents their local debut, Nov. 7th - 10th, 2007.

Andrew Swenson of the Three Rivers Film Festival - 11/08/2007
The Three Rivers Film Festival continues through Nov. 15th. Andrew Swenson, director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, previews coming attractions and special guests with QED's Jim Cunningham.

Richard Thomas in "12 Angry Men" - 10/25/2007
Actor Richard Thomas (John-Boy in TV's "The Waltons") talks about his role as Juror #8 in the courtroom drama "12 Angry Men," differences between the 1957 film and the touring play, and his lifelong involvement in New York theater.

Whirling Dervishes of Rumi - 10/23/2007
Who are the Whirling Dervishes of Rumi? Why do they whirl, and who was Rumi? Hakan Yildiz, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Dialogue Foundation, talks with Ted Sohier as the Whirling Dervishes return to Carnegie Music Hall, Oct. 23 at 8:00 pm.

Karla Boos of Quantum Theatre - 10/11/2007
Artistic Director Karla Boos explains why Quantum Theatre is staging a US premiere adaptation of Zola's Therese Raquin in the basement swimming pool of Braddock's Carnegie Library through Oct. 14.

Anna Singer in "The Marriage of Figaro" - 09/27/2007
QED 89.3 mid-day host and operatic soprano Anna Singer talks with Stephen Baum about her role as Marcellina in Opera Theater of Pittsburgh's English-language production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," September 24-30, 2007 at the Byham Theater.

Pianist Christopher O'Riley - 09/27/2007
Pianist Christopher O'Riley, host of NPR's "From the Top" and son of former QED 89.3 station manager Ceci Sommers, talks with Jim Cunningham about his current concerts, recordings and radio shows.

Brahms on the Bluff - 09/21/2007
Pianist David Allen Wehr, Artistic Director of Duquesne University's "Brahms on the Bluff" series, talks about the "other" version of Brahms's "Haydn Variations," and America's "go-to" hornist for the Horn Trio, launching the series's "Final Four" season on Sunday, 9/23/2007 at 3:00 pm at PNC Recital Hall.

Pittsburgh in Stages - 09/19/2007
Theater historian Lynne Conner, author of "Pittsburgh in Stages: 200 Years of  Theater" (University of Pittsburgh Press) talks about people, performances and places, from British officers' Shakespeare at Fort Pitt to the opening of the O'Reilly Theater.

Diana Jannetta reviews "Made in Pennsylvania: A Folk Art Tradition" - 09/18/2007
Diana Jannetta reviews "Made in Pennsylvania: A Folk Art Tradition" at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, which showcases almost 400 significant examples of fraktur, salt-glazed stoneware, tanware, textiles and painted furniture.

Nonpareil Wind Band, Part 1 - 09/05/2007
Nonpareil Wind Band co-founders Howard Hillyer and PSO Principal Bass Clarinet Richard Page talk with Jim Cunningham about the band's purpose and players. Hillyer recalls his PSO audition for William Steinberg, and talks about arrangements of The Star-Spangled Banner. Audiences chose the Nonpareil Wind Band for an encore appearance at 'First Fridays at the Frick,' Sep. 7, 2007 at 7:00 pm.

Nonpareil Wind Band, Part 2 - 09/05/2007
The Nonpareil Wind Band's Howard Hillyer and Richard Page talk with QED's Jim Cunningham about the repertoire for their free concert, Sept. 7, 2007 on the lawn of the Frick Art & Historical Center.

Diana Jannetta reviews William Bouguereau - 08/29/2007
In the Studios of Paris: William Bouguereau & His American Students; Frick Art Museum, through October 14, 2007; Once famous, then disregarded, French academic painter William Bouguereau taught a succeeding generation of Americans, including Cecilia Beaux, Minerva Chapman and Robert Henri. A recent revival of interest brings together 50 works that illustrate Bougereau's influence.

Ed Ochester, Part 1 - 08/24/2007
Ed Ochester, editor of the anthology "American Poetry Now," talks with Jim Cunningham. Celebrating 40 years of the renowned Pitt Poetry Series, this collection of 48 poets from the University of Pittsburgh Press includes several who became Poets Laureate of the United States. Discussion includes the historical role of rhyme, today's most accessible poets, the health of published poetry, and the diversity of writers in the Pitt Poetry Series.

Ed Ochester, Part 2 - 08/24/2007
Ed Ochester reads Ted Kooser's "How to Make Rhubarb Wine"

Ed Ochester, Part 3 - 08/24/2007
Ed Ochester reads Billy Collins' "Three Blind Mice"

Ed Ochester, Part 4 - 08/24/2007
Ed Ochester reads Peter Everwine's "Drinking Cold Water"

Ron Carnevali, Part 1 - 08/23/2007
Ron Carnevali talks about the history of the Johnstown FolkFest.

Ron Carnevali, Part 2 - 08/23/2007
Ron Carnevali discusses the vibe at the FolkFest, as well as discovering how much great music is being made.

Ron Carnevali, Part 3 - 08/23/2007
Ron Carnevali talks about the process of putting the FolkFest together each year.

Ron Carnevali, Part 4 - 08/23/2007
Ron Carnevali talks about the FolkFest basics (when, where, parking, etc); also talks about Festival Park, where the FolkFest takes place.

Ron Carnevali, Part 5 - 08/23/2007
Ron Carnevali talks about four of the performers on this years bill - Druha Trava; Eric Lindell; James Talley; and A. J. Croce.

Ron Carnevali, Part 6 - 08/23/2007
Ron Carnevali talks about the different foods at the festival, as well as how easy it is to get there from Pittsburgh.

Kevin Noe of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble - 07/06/2007
The Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble's opening weekend of concerts riff on the theme of applause, with a reprise of a PNME-commissioned audience favorite, Steve Reich's "Clapping Music" and more. Conductor Kevin Noe previews the week's music and the PNME's impending CD releases.

Shirley Jones in "Oklahoma!" - 06/18/2007
Pittsburgh-area native Shirley Jones returns to CLO in the show that made her famous, "Oklahoma!" The Oscar and Emmy-winning stage, screen, and television actress talks about her impromptu audition for the 1955 film of "Oklahoma!" The granddaughter of a local beer baron, Jones aspired to become a veterinarian -- until Rogers & Hammerstein discovered her.

Andrew Swenson on U-Carmen - 05/25/2007
Andrew Swenson, Director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, tells Jim Cunningham about two extraordinary films: U-Carmen, a comtemporary South African adaptation of the opera Carmen, with the words translated into Xhosa, a South African dialect, but otherwise unaltered, and Into Great Silence, a transcendent documentary without narration revealing the daily experience of life inside a monastery deep in the French Alps.

Ricki Wertz - 05/16/2007
Ricki Wertz, host of the classic Pittsburgh children's television program Ricki & Copper and husband Tom Borden (her director at WTAE) talk about their foray into painting, their shared connections to the Hindenburg disaster, his passion for aviation and, of course, Ricki's four-legged TV co-star, Copper.

Antony Walker discusses Billy Budd - 05/11/2007
Pittsburgh Opera Music Director Antony Walker talks about Benjamin Britten's opera Billy Budd, which is based on a novella by Herman Melville.

Diana Jannetta reviews "Paris on the Seine" - 04/10/2007
Art Critic Diana Jannetta reviews "Paris on the Seine," photographer Bruno Réquillart's exhibition on view at the Silver Eye on the South Side through May 26th.

Video: Diana Jannetta reviews "Paris on the Seine" - 04/10/2007
Art Critic Diana Jannetta reviews "Paris on the Seine," photographer Bruno Réquillart's exhibition on view at the Silver Eye on the South Side through May 26th. QuickTime video.

Cherry Jones discusses "Doubt" - 03/08/2007
Cherry Jones discusses her Tony-winning role as Sister Aloysius in the national tour of John Patrick Shanley's 2005 Pulitzer-winning play, "Doubt."

Guitarist Manuel Barrueco - 01/16/2007
Guitarist Manuel Barrueco joined CMU's Cuarteto Latinoamericano in January, 2007, to make a CD including pieces by Astor Piazzolla and contemporary American composer Michael Daugherty. The Cuban-born Barrueco comments on Daugherty's provocatively-titled “Bay of Pigs.”