Voice of the Arts

The author of Decoy and A Stradivari Affair , Cal Thomas, will read from his thrillers and sign them at Mystery Lovers Bookshop on February 6, 2019 at 7:00pm. Cal was a native of Oakmont for twenty years and the Vice President of International Production at WQED. His work in military intelligence and love of travel figure into his writing, as well as his experience as the Manager of the Bangor Maine Symphony Orchestra. In Decoy, a Harvard grad studying at Cambridge winds up in a jihadist plot starting with an attempt to blow up a London bus. Alan Durant befriends an American opera star (inspired by Grace Bumbry) and through many twists and turns Kyle McBride, the central figure of Thomas’ writing, saves the day. A Stradivari Affair is based on events surrounding the Huberman Stradivarius which is played today by Joshua Bell. European atmosphere, action, explosions, television industry insider detail and lots of good meals in interesting places give considerable color to both novels.

WQED’s Rick Sebak joins pianist Tom Roberts and cartoonist Wayno playing ukulele and graphic artist Dave Klug on drums to narrate ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” in their Christmas Spectacular Saturday December 15 at the Elks lounge on the Northside with dancing and stickers. A preview with music recorded at WQED-FM and conversation with Jim Cunningham.

Stage Director Linda Brovsky talks to WQED-FM’s Anna Singer about this production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” being performed by Pittsburgh Opera through October 14th.

Joe Newcomer and Kieren MacMilan join us to discuss their upcoming musical “The Gray Cat and the Flounder!” Joe, who is a long time supporter of PNME and WQED, commissioned a musical dedicated to his wife Bernadette, who was very special to Joe. He asked Kieren MacMilan to bring his cartoons, “The Gray Cat and the Flounder” which depict his life with Bernadette, to life on stage. Listen to learn more about Joe and Bernadette’s marriage and how it became a musical!

This Friday and Saturday night, PNME soprano Lindsay Kesselman strikes a chord of universal resonance as she takes the audience from triumph to tragedy. With music by David Lang, Amy Beth Kirsten, William Bolcom, Lee Kesselman, John Bucchino, Jeff Nytch, and Kieren MacMillan, this powerful emotional journey illuminates the edges of our most essential human need: to love and be loved. Lindsay stopped by WQED-FM to talk with our Anna Singer about the concerts.

Mrs. Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, reflects on the 50th Anniversary of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood as produced at WQED and her 50 year marriage to Mr. Rogers. She talks about the new documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” the puppets in the Neighborhood and who they represent, early WQED history from 1954, the plans and script for a forthcoming film with Tom Hanks, many of the musical people in the program including Van Cliburn, the Metroplitan Opera’s John Reardon and Officer Clemmons, Francoise Clemmons as well as her love of playing the piano and learning how to play with Hungarian virtuoso Ernst von Dohnanyi. Exactly how she met Fred at Rollins College in Florida, whether the Neighborhood was derived from the Ten Commandments, when the sweater got into the program and where they are today. She also remembers Fred’s work on the first broadcast on NBC of “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” working on the Kate Smith Hour, and with Gabby Hayes who gave the advice of “thinking of one little buckaroo out there.”

Tenor Colin Aikins is from Pittsburgh and a senior at Central Catholic High School. He studies voice with Maria Spacagna at Carnegie Mellon University. He was selected as a National Young Arts Finalist and recently participated in YoungArts Week in Miami. Colin also won first place in the High School Classical Division of the 2017 Classical Singer national competition and received a scholarship to the University of Miami Frost School of Music Salzburg Festival. Colin’s favorite musical experience has been performing in nursing homes. He also enjoys participating in his school’s crew, swimming, and track and field teams, as well as musical performance clubs. He tells us about his singing career that has taken him to the top in music competitions including Salzburg Austria and resulted in an April 2018 appearance on From the Top with Christopher O Riley. Now he must decide on whether it’s Juilliard or the Curtis Institute for further study.

Hear why you will enjoy the Microtonal Music Festival with the University of Pittsburgh’s  Matthew Rosenblum composer and clarinetist David Krakauer who will give the premiere of Matthew’s new Concerto on Thursday evening at Carnegie Music Hall, Symposia, a reception, and events at the Warhol and Frick on the Pitt campus between Thursday January 11 and Saturday night.  David Krakauer is a legend in the klezmer and jazz worlds in addition to his work with the microtonal music scene.  Matthew has won a shelf full of awwrds for his work and made multiple recordings. Hear all about it and thei memories of Thelonious Monk in New York.

Thierry Fisher has been Music Director of the Utah Symphony since 2009. He was born in Rhodesia to Swiss parents and has conducted around the globe and served as principal Flute for the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He’s made a wide ranging catalog of recordings but has not yet made it to Heinz Hall. That may change as he suggested in his conversation about the new recording of Gustav Mahler’s Eighth Symphony on the Reference label with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

James Iman has a passion for music of our time. He is a graduate of Indiana University having traveled far and wide to share his interest in the modern . He recently released a new cd recorded in Belgium and gave a recital at Chatham University with entirely women composers of the 20th and 21^st century. He stopped by the studio to play music by Indiana University of Pa composer Jenny Beck on the Gibson Capital Management Steinway.  Jenny was inspired to write Stand Still Here when she read Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse.

Artistic Director Karla Boos and conductor Andres Cladera talk about staging Bernstein’s Candide at the former Don Allen Auto City, the work’s interesting history, and unique mix of farce and beauty. The leads sing, “You Were Dead, You Know.”