Beatrice Rana makes her Pittsburgh Symphony debut playing the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto. Talking with Jim Cunningham, she describes her musical life to age 26, shares her thoughts about the Prokofiev Third, talks about her Warner Classics recordings of the Goldberg Variations and concertos by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, her appearance at the Hollywood Bowl, how she makes her sauce for pasta and whether Italians are exactly as portrayed in the Federico Fellini film Orchestra Rehearsal.  

Pittsburgh Symphony Violinist Jennifer Orchard of the Clarion Quartet has the story on their May 30th concert at the Gerald Lee Morosco Architects office in East Liberty. Shostakovich is part of the plan.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performed at Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center on Sunday, May 19. With guest pianist Till Fellner, the orchestra performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 and Mahler's Symphony No. 5. WQED was there to speak with several musicians including violinist Marta Kruchkovsky, principal contrabasoonist Jim Rogers, and principal french horn Bill Caballero. There is even a special appearance from television star Alec Baldwin.

Pianist Till Fellner returns to Heinz Hall with Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto Friday May 17 8pm in a send off preview of the Pittsburgh Symphony concert Sunday May 19 3pm at Lincoln Center’s Geffen Hall. Till has played all the Beethoven Concertos and worked on them with Alfred Brendel. He talks about his Viennese countryman Manfred Honeck, his favorite recent movies and books and much more in this conversation with Jim Cunningham.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck  talks to WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham about this weekend's concerts at Heinz Hall with Vilda Frang playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto and Matthias Goerne singing the Mahler "Song of the Earth."  Maestro Honeck also talks about the orchestras upcoming concert in New York City, as well as celebrating Mother's Day.

WQED-FM's sat down with both Leonard Slatkin and pianist Garrick Ohlsson about this weekend's concerts at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  It's a birthday celebration for Leonard Slatkin and Garrick Ohlsson plays the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 4.  

The Music Director of the Orchestre National de France Emmanuel Krivine makes his Heinz Hall debut April 5 2019 with Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, Boris Blacher's Paganini Variations and the Brahms Haydn Variations. He remembers his work with Lorin Maazel and how his father nearly disowned him when he discovered he was studying with Karl Bohm who had once enthusiastically supported the Nazi party. Maestro Krivine expresses hsi admiration for American Orchestras and looks forward to his first concert with the Pittsburgh as he explained to Jim Cunningham and Pittsburgh Symphony vilist Marylene Gingras Roy  who helped with smooth translation from French to English.

Julian Rachlin talks with the Friends of the Pittsburgh Symphony on March 21, 2019 in the Dorothy Porter Simmons Rooms at Heinz Hall.  He describes his American debut with Lorin Maazel and the Orchestra, his first recording of Sibelius for Sony at Heinz Hall and his 57 subsequent performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Julian talks about his conducting career and advice from Mariss Jansons, the Mendelssohn Concerto and much more.    

Music For Food is a national effort started by violist Kim Kashkashian helping to feed hungry Americans. Sunday evening, March 24th, in the James Laughlin Music Center at Chatham University, four members of the Pittsburgh Symphony will be joined by pianist Francesca Tortorello in music by Charles Martin Loeffler and Benjamin Britten. Free will donations with a suggested donation of $20 will be given to the Greated Pittsburgh Community Foodbank. The musicians include Kelsey Blumenthal, violin; Deanna Badizadegan, viola; Will Chow, cello; Max Blair, oboe and Francesca Tortorello, piano. They play an excerpt from the Brittten Phantasy Quartet for oboe and strings live in the WQED-FM Studio.

Pianist Lukas Vondracek makes his Pittsburgh Symphony debut playing Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto -Friday March 15th at 8 and Sunday March 17th at 2:30. Here he talks about Rachmaninoff, working with Russell Sherman at New England Conservatory, what you should see when you visit Prague, where beer was invented, the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium Competition where he was the winner in 2016 and much more.  The conversation took place in his dressing room at Heinz Hall with Jim Cunningham.