The Pittsburgh Symphony's Principal Guest Conductor talks about making a little "symphony" of Samuel Barber's "perfect" little pieces; Copland's El Salon Mexico and dances from "Rodeo," John Williams as the 20th century's most influential composer, and getting speeding tickets in the expansive landscapes of the American West.

PSO Composer of the Year Richard Danielpour talks about "A Woman's Life, written for soprano Angela Brown and the PSO with texts by Maya Angelou. Danielpour and Brown talk about their work with each other and with Maya Angelou on this new song cycle.

The Pittsburgh Symphony's Principal Guest Conductor talks about Richard Danielpour's "A Woman's Life" and his work with the composer, the seldom-heard music of Peter Mennin, old-school Sibelius, and Slatkin's provocative blog.

To open the PSO season, and his final year as Concertmaster, Andres Cardenes talks about Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, Poulenc's Sinfonietta, and performing for world leaders at the G20 Pittsburgh Summit.

The PSO Music Director examines how Mahler devloped his monumental Symphony #2, from its origins as a tone poem to a symphony with chorus on the scale of Beethoven's Ninth. Honeck talks about Mahler's place in Viennese culture, and the philosophy behind his "Resurrection" symphony.

The Pittsburgh Symphony's Music Director Manfred Honeck talks about Beethoven's Violin Concerto and soloist Frank Peter Zimmerman, Beethoven's Egmont overture and Mozart's Prague Symphony.

Frequent PSO guest pianist Yefim Bronfman talks about Mozart's minor-key Piano Concerto #24, his appearances with the L.A. Philharmonic and recent premiere performances.