The PSO welcomes The Tallis Scholars, founded and directed by Peter Phillips. While celebrating its 40th anniversary season, the choir performs an a cappella program of Renaissance sacred music and two motets by Bruckner at Heinz Hall to complement Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" conducted by Manfred Honeck.

Austrian pianist Till Fellner's PSO debut on Thanksgiving weekend features Beethoven's Piano Concerto #4 with Manfred Honeck conducting. Fellner talks about the details he discusses with Honeck, about recording Beethoven for ECM, and his interest in the use of music by film director Luis Bunuel.

Frequent Pittsburgh Symphony guest conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos talks about the US premiere of the Symphony #6 by Spanish-born Pittsburgh composer Leonardo Balada. The symphony was inspired by the Spanish Civil War. Frühbeck, now 80, shares memories of working with past legends Nathan Milstein, Joaquin Rodrigo, and others.

Charlie Humphrey, Executive Director of festival presenter Pittsburgh Filmmakers, talks about the four opening night films on Nov, 8, a fourth theater joining the festival, local films and film makers, microcinema, the return of the Alloy Orchestra for silent film screenings, and more.

Guest conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier talks about the role of melody in Russian music, the Russian-French connection, and the Piano Concerto #2 by Prokfiev and Symphony #2 by Rachmaninoff. He also talks about French pastries, such as the macaron and croissant.

PSO Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley talks about the Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch, his newly-acquired violin that he'll use in the performance, and whether the vacancy created by the impending retirement of NY Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow tempts him.

After building his career as a violinist, Nikolaj Znaider returns to Heinz Hall as guest conductor to lead the work he played as soloist there in 2005 -- Bruch's Scottish Fantasy. PSO concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley will solo this time, as Znaider conducts a program that includes Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture and Schumann's Symphony No. 4.