Voice of the Arts

Pittsburgh Opera presents “Proving Up” February 17th through the 25th at the Bitz Opera Factory. WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke with conductor James Lesniak about the opera’s music.

Pittsburgh Opera presents “Proving Up” February 17th through the 25th at the Bitz Opera Factory. WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke with Fran Daniel Laucerica, who sings the role of Miles Zegner.

Pittsburgh Opera presents “Proving Up” February 17th through the 25th at the Bitz Opera Factory. WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke with Julia Laird, who sings the role of one of the sisters.

Pianists Nanette Kaplan Solomon and Luz Manriquez discuss their upcoming recital together on Monday, February 26th at 7:30 pm at the Kresge Theatre on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus. Their recital is a celebration of two CMU icons: Nancy Galbraith and Nikolai Lopatnikoff. Nanette talks about her dissertation paper that was on the life and work of Nikolai Lopatnikoff, and highlight how his work is largely unknown. Luz discusses the program and how they will use two pianos for Nancy Galbraith’s Effervescent Air for Piano, Four Hands. Both Nanette and Luz play that piece together in our studio. Visit cmu.edu/cfa/music to learn more about the program. The event is free.

John Moon, one of the original Freedom House trail blazers visited with Jim Cunningham to talk about the exhibit in the City County Building lobby celebrating the work of the pioneers in providing lifesaving medical services when few others were willing to venture in to Pittsburgh’s Hill District in the sixties and seventies. The life savers set a world wide model for how to provide care on the scene. Hear all about it and watch the program on demand from the WQED website and the PBS App. It took 300 hours of medical training for the initial team of 24 amid racial tension. They were the only trained EMTs in the country and provided a lesson for the world.

Now, the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS is launching a new pilot program called Freedom House EMT Training, in honor of the original Freedom House Ambulance Service. This program will allow residents to obtain their EMT certifications which allow them to transition to the bureau as full-time employees. Anyone interested in applying should visit PGHJOBS.NET or pittsburghpa.gov/ems for more information. “In the 1960s, there was absolutely no EMS service in this country, no one trained to the extent we were. Here in Pittsburgh we wrote and developed the paramedic training program that paramedics began using throughout the United States,” said Moon. Today John Moon travels extensively to tell the Pittsburgh story.

Watch this episode on YouTube

The Heinz History Center is offering its 10th annual Black History Month Lecture. Director of the African American Program at the Center, Samuel Black, discusses the exciting guest speaker that will be coming to Pittsburgh on February 21st for the 5:30 pm event. Dr. Nicole Fleetwood will be presenting her book, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, and lead a talk about how art can heal and humanize people in the age of mass incarceration. Fleetwood is a MacArthur Genius Fellow, curator, art critic, and NYU professor, giving her a unique perspective as both an academic and museum educator. Sam Black highlights Fleetwood’s achievements, as well as how this lecture will tie into the an upcoming exhibit at the Heinz History Center that sheds light on how women shaped Pittsburgh. Visit https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/whats-on/history-center/black-history-month-at-the-history-center/ to learn more about the lecture and get $10 tickets. Dr. Nicole Fleetwood will also be signing copies of her book at the event.

Get ready to Bop to the Top. Executive Director of Pittsburgh Musical Theater, Colleen Doyno, and Conservatory Director, Quinn Patrick Shannon, discuss PMT’s last three shows of the season, High School Musical Jr, running February 15th to the 18th, Grease running March 7th to the 17th, and Million Dollar Quartet running April 18th to May 12th. Quinn highlights the immense fun and dedication the students at the conservatory bring to each and every production, including during their summer camps. Colleen reminds us of the valuable life skills theater teaches us all, and how professional productions like Grease are a teaching moment for students and for professional artists in the industry. Visit https://pittsburghmusicals.com/season/ to learn more and find tickets!

President of the Tuesday Musical Club and life-long pianist, Janet Stivanson, discusses Tuesday Musical Club’s upcoming concert called, “Celebration!”:Honoring our African-American Composers next Tuesday, February 13th at 1pm at Rodef Shalom’s Levy Hall. Janet highlights the diverse program featuring compositions from Samuel Colridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Williams Grant Still, and Harry T. Burleigh. Janet also describes her love of piano that has stretched for over 78 years. The program is free and will be live streamed on Youtube. Visit https://www.tuesdaymusicalclub.org/events to learn more.

Curtis Stewart is a 3-time Grammy nominated violinist making his debut with the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra this Saturday, February 10th, 7:30pm at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center. Jim Cunningham had a chance to talk with Curtis about the concert where he will play the Julia Perry Concerto for Violin, his musical background, performing at the Grammy’s and more.

Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh presents “Britten, Montgomery and Bartok” Saturday February 10th at Rodef Shalom and Sunday February 11th at Calvary United Methodist Church. Conductor and Artistic Director Edward Leonard was joined by soloist Timothy Stoddard on the QED Morning Show to talk about the concert.

From the Pittsburgh Savoyards, Director Marsha Mayhak and Production Manager, Lynette Garlan, discuss their upcoming performances of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” running weekends from February 9th to the 24th. Marsha describes how she adapted this classic novel into a play filled with romance, and which couple she chose to focus on. Lynette also highlights 4 performances that will be live-streamed, and the Savoyards next performance after Pride and Prejudice. Tickets are $15. Visit https://www.pittsburghsavoyards.org/ to learn more.

Mezzo-Soprano Tahanee Aluwihare, sitar player, Michael Griska, tenor Gene Stenger, and Artistic Director of Resonance Works, Maria Sensi Sellner, discussed with Anna Singer their upcoming performance of “This Love Between Us” on Friday, February 2nd and Sunday, February 4th. The program will feature both Bach’s Magnificat, as well as newcomer composer, Reena Esmail’s transcendent This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity, which combines some themes from the Magnificat with Hindustani music. Gene Stenger performs live with Robert Frankenberry. Visit https://www.resonanceworks.org/ to learn more.