Hannah Ishizaki, a junior at Mount Lebanon High School, a violinist and composer, a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, and leader of the Montgomery Quartet has already heard several of her compositions performed by Ovre Arts in Pittsburgh. She becomes the youngest woman composer ever performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony with the world premiere of her “City of Bridges” at the Pittsburgh Symphony Fiddlesticks concert conducted by Francesco Lecce Chong on February 18th.  She sat down for a few minutes in the Grand Lobby of Heinz Hall just after a performance for the PSO Friends.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck stopped by the QED Morning Show to talk about this weekend's concerts at Heinz Hall, featuring the Prokofiev "Classical" Symphony; Tchaikovsky's Suite from Sleeping Beauty, and the MacMillan "Veni, Veni Emmanuel" with Percussionist Colin Currie as soloist.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck stopped by the QED Morning Show to talk about this weekend's concerts with Midori playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, plus the Mozart Symphony No. 35 and the Brahms' Symphony No. 1.  

Violinist Jennifer Orchard will present a Music 101 lecture recital Wednesday February 1st at 12:30 in the Heinz Hall Dorothy Porter Simmons Regency Rooms. Pianist Igor Kraevsky will accompany in music by Paul Juon from their recent cd. Jennifer will share her story beginning in London Ontario through Curtis Institute and her work with the Lark Quartet. Igor tells us about his work at City Music Center and his early years in St Petersberg Russia and his teacher who knew Shostakovich and Prokofiev well.   

Sir James Macmillan, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Composer of the Year, talks about his Symphony No 4 in the East Coast Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra premiere and the other music the Orchestra and Resonance Works will perform this season. Topics included his composing philosophy, his Scottish dancing, visiting Andrew Carnegie’s home in Dunfermline, the Queen, and whether Scotland should go it alone from the UK.

Simone Porter violinist talks about the Samuel Barber Violin Concerto she’s playing in her Pittsburgh premiere. Topics include appearing on "From the Top" three times, practicing in Jascha Heifetz studio, coffee in Seattle, her passion for books, and her love of music plus the story of her life so far.

British born conductor and Music Director of the Oregon Bach Festival Matthew Halls makes his Pittsburgh Symphony debut in a special subscriber concert with the East Coast premiere of the Symphony No. 4 by James Macmillan, the Samuel  Barber Violin Concerto with Simone Porter in her Heinz Hall debut, and the Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3, "Scottish." Matthew reveals his favorite English tea and how to enjoy it in the final minutes of the conversation with Jim Cunningham.

Finnish conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste returns to Heinz Hall to conduct Beethoven's 7th and Sibelius' 5th.  WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham chats with the conductor about this week's program as well as what American TV he is watching these days.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck stopped by the QED Morning Show to talk about the opening of the Pittsburgh Symphony season with the Moonlight Masquerade featuring Gil Shaham - September 17th. Topics include how he spent his summer vacation touring to China with the Australian Youth Orchestra and Helene Grimaud, the beautiful Tyrolean scenery in western Austria, and Austrian voting irregularities.

Pittsburgh Symphony Assistant Conductor Andres Franco discusses the Classical Mixer for the end of the summer season concert with the 1812 Overture, the correct tempo for the Brahms Third Symphony, sunsets at Hartwood Acres, the best coffee, composer of the year James Macmillan, concerts in Tulsa, Symphonic rappers and much more.