Voice of the Arts

Violist with the Academy String Quartet, Warren Davidson, discussed with Jim Cunningham live on the morning show about the Quartet’s upcoming concerts in the Pittsburgh region. The first concert of Dances and Madrigals will be this Sunday, March 10th at 4 pm at the Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum. Other concerts include Thursday March 14th, Friday March 15th, and Sunday April 21st. The Quartet includes members Jorie Butler-Geyer and Leah Givelber, violins, Warren Davidson, viola, and Cecilia Caughman, cello. Warren and Jim discussed the program that includes Haydn’s String Quartet in G Major, Op 64. and Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in E-Flat Op. 12 that was written when he was only 19. They also listened to some of the Quartet’s previously recorded songs, including Vaughan Williams’ Rhosymedre recorded in our studios! Visit WQED’s Cultural Calendar to see all of the Academy String Quartet’s concerts.

Music Director and Conductor of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, Daniel Nesta Curtis, discusses the Philharmonic’s upcoming concert, Orchestral Carnival, on Saturday, March 16th at 4 pm at The Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center. Daniel highlights this colorful program that features Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Haydn’s “The Clock” Symphony, and a performance of the Elgar Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by soloist Nathan Choe. Nathan was the winner of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic’s 2023 Lorraine Lippert Concerto Competition and had blown away the judges with his sensitive rendition of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Daniel discusses Nathan’s impressive CV as the principal cellist with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, the details of the Concerto Competition, and the closing performance of the Philharmonic’s season in May that features a new composition by the 2024 Pittsburgh Philharmonic Young Composers’ Competition winner. Visit https://pghphil.org/ to learn more and find tickets.

Pianist Nanette Kaplan Solomon and violist John McCarthy came to the studio to perform a piece from their upcoming Tuesday Musical Club concert on Tuesday, March 12th at 1 pm at Rodef Shalom’s Levy Hall. The program, “Hummel Along”, features Chamber Music of Johann Nepomuk Hummel, including his unusual arrangement of his Septet in D Minor for piano, winds and strings. Nanette and John play live another piece in the program, Hummel’s 3rd Movement of Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op 5, No. 3. John discusses his love for Hummel’s music, and his desire to create a program around it. John also talks about his performances in the pitt at the Benedum Center. This is a free concert with a livestream. Visit https://www.tuesdaymusicalclub.org/ to learn more.

Bass-Baritone Jonathan Woody discusses his upcoming concert with Chatham Baroque in Joy of Bach, a program featuring Bach’s Cantata, Ich Habe genug (BWV 82) and the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. The Joy of Bach will be Friday, March 15th and Saturday, March 16th at 7:30 pm at Calvary Episcopal Church. Jonathan reminisces with Anna Singer about his first time singing Bach’s Cantata 82, and how his love for it grew until it was his favorite to perform. Jonathan also first visited Pittsburgh as a kid when his father had an art show at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, and has since fallen in love with the city of bridges. Chatham Baroque will also be performing the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 and selections from Bach’s Cantata 36 with Kathryn Montoya (oboe), Daniel Elyar (viola), Paul Miller (violin), Rebecca Humphrey Diederich (cello), J. Tracy Mortimore (bass), Justin Wallace (harpsichord and organ), and Alan Lewis (organ prelude). Visit chathambaroque.org to learn more and find tickets.

Artistic Director of Corningworks, Beth Corning, discusses her upcoming performance of “What did you think you just heard me say?!” running from March 15th to the 24th at City Theatre’s Lillie Theatre in the South Side. This work addresses the ever-growing challenge we continue to face with interpersonal communication, interpretations, and our knee-jerk reactions to what people say. Beth asks, can not just listen to each other, but hear what we are trying to say? Beth also highlights how this work is part of her Glue Factory Projects that highlights performers over the age of 40 in multi-disciplinary dancetheater pieces. Beth hopes that this semi-humorous piece creates conversations in people about their conversations with one another. Visit https://www.corningworks.org/upcoming-productions.html to learn more and find tickets.

The Rosamunde Quartet stopped by WQED-FM on Tuesday March 5th, 2024 to perform live on the air! They perform at the Benedum Center on Wednesday March 6th, 7:30pm for the Chamber Music Pittsburgh concert series. The members of the Quartet, Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin; Shanshan Yao, violin; Teng Li, viola; and Nathan Vickery, cello spoke with Anna Singer about the concert. They also played the opening movement of Haydn’s String Quartet in C major, Op. 20 No. 2 and the final movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet # 15 in A minor, Op. 132 live from our studio.

President of Belle Voci Pittsburgh, Craig Cannon, and Artistic Director, Lorraine Milovac, discuss with Jim Cunningham about their upcoming concert, Proclamations of Courage 2, on March 15th at 7:30 pm at Duquesne City School, and March 16th at 3 pm at Pentecostal Temple Church.

Lorraine and Craig highlight this free concert with the Essence of Joy Alumni Singers from Penn State University. They discuss the program that includes Andrea Ramsey’s Suffrage Cantata and a series of compositions and arrangements of spirituals by living African American female composers. This performance also includes soloist Denise Sheffey-Powell, narrator Lynne Hayes-Freeland, and the Giambelli String Quartet. Lorraine and Craig also reveal how the singers of the group have many social gatherings, including a book club and wine club. Visit https://www.bellevocipgh.com/ to learn more.

Former Pittsburgh Symphony Concertmaster Noah Bendix Balgley brings the Rosamunde Quartet March 6th at 7:30pm for the first concert ever presented at the Benedum Center by Chamber Music Pittsburgh. The concert includes Haydn’s Opus 20, No. 2 in C, Kevin Puts’ Credo, and Beethoven’s late Opus 132 Quartet No. 15 in A. Noah speaks with Jim Cunningham about how the Quartet found one another and what is happening in Berlin and the concert world at large.

Michelle Imler and Denice Pazuchanics from WQED’s Education Department swung by the studio to talk with Jim Cunningham about Be My Neighbor Day on March 23rd in Canonsburg, PA from 11 am to 2 pm. Michelle and Denice highlight this free event for all that celebrates kindness and what it means to be a caring neighbor. Visit the Frank Sarris Public Library for hands on activities, and hear presentations from The Cookie Table Lady and the Sarris Chocolate Company at the Canonsburg UP Church. Of course, Daniel Tiger will be present to say hello at the Canonsburg Senior Center! Michelle and Denice also highlight what the Education Department is up to throughout the year! Visit https://www.wqed.org/bemyneighborday/ to learn more!

Jim Cunningham spoke with Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra Conducting Competition Winner and cellist Kate Nayeon Jeon and PYSO Executive Director William Powers during intermission of our PYSO live broadcast on Sunday March 3, 2024.

Jim Cunningham spoke with Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra French Horn Bryce Lowden, PYSO Harpist Sophia Jho, and PYSO Music Director Jacob Joyce leading up to the PYSO Concert on Sunday March 3, 2024.

Associate curator at Heinz Architectural Center, Theodossis Issaias, and assistant curator at Carnegie Museum of Art, Alyssa Velazquez, discussed with Jim Cunningham about the Carnegie Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, Everlasting Plastics. This exhibition features site-specific commissions by five designers from the United States. Xavi L. Aguirre, Simon Anton, Ang Li, Norman Teague , and Laruen Yeager explore how plastics shape and erode the environments around us. Theo and Alyssa highlight each designers work and where they will be featured in the museum. They also talk about the process of bringing this exhibition to Pittsburgh for its inaugural North American debut after its unveiling at the 18th Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2023. Everlasting Plastics will be on display from March 9th to August 11th, 2024. Visit https://carnegieart.org/ to learn more.