Voice of the Arts

Ukrainian pianist and scholar Dr. Taras Filenko and Pittsburgh dancer Elsa Limbach spoke with WQED-FM about their upcoming Ukrainian benefit concert, Standing Against the Suppression of Expression, at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild on Sunday, June 2nd at 7 pm. All proceeds will go towards the Brother’s Brother Foundation, and the concert will feature Ukrainian artist Ostap Stakhiw (Bandurist), as well as Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra members: Victoria Luperi (Associate Principal Clarinet and Principal Eb Clarinet), and Marta Krechkovsky (First Violin). Dr. Taras expresses his gratitude for everyone’s involvement in putting on this concert, and explains what a Bandura is. Elsa highlights the wonderful work Dr. Taras has done around the world. Visit https://www.mcgjazz.org/ukrainebenefit to learn more and find tickets.

Organist Dr. Edward Alan Moore, composer Nancy Galbraith, and percussionist Abby Langhorst, spoke about the East Liberty Presbyterian Church’s upcoming final concert of their 12th season of Cathedral Concerts with the Brass Roots. This event will be this Friday, May 24th at 7:30 pm and will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Brass Roots in residence at ELPC with a newly composed piece by Pittsburgh native, Nancy Galbraith. Nancy, Ed, and Abby tell Jim Cunningham all the details about the event and the new piece.

Director, playwright and Co-Artistic Director of City Theatre, Monteze Freeland, spoke with WQED-FM at the Pittsburgh Public Theater about the upcoming play, The Coffin Maker. This world premiere featuring a Pittsburgh playwright, Mark Clayton Southers, runs from May 29th to June 16th at the O’Reilly Theater. Monteze talks about his first introduction to the play almost 2 1/2 years ago, the challenges of researching slavery, the technical challenges throughout the show, and how working on a new play is always exciting. As if he isn’t busy enough, you can also catch Monteze’s new play, Fishy Woo Woo, at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company on May 31st. Visit https://ppt.org/production/87764/the-coffin-maker to find tickets to this historic and thrilling play.

Playwright and Founder of the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, Mark Clayton Southers, spoke with WQED-FM about his upcoming world premiere play of The Coffin Maker, running at the Pittsburgh Public Theater from May 29th to June 16th. Mark describes the story of an enslaved wife and freed husband working for an undertaker in Oklahoma, when a bounty hunter comes in and changes everything. He also describes why he wrote this play and how it came to life on stage at the Public. Visit https://ppt.org/production/87764/the-coffin-maker to learn more and find tickets to this Western dark-comedy play.

Actors Randy Kovitz and Connor McCanlus spoke with WQED-FM about their upcoming roles as the bounty hunter and the photographer in the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s world premiere, The Coffin Maker. This world premiere featuring a Pittsburgh playwright, Mark Clayton Southers, runs from May 29th to June 16th at the O’Reilly Theater. Connor talks about his field trip to the Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History in downtown Pittsburgh, and how he took that knowledge to better inform his acting. Randy describes the challenges of his fight choreography and his work as a stunt coordinator. Visit https://ppt.org/production/87764/the-coffin-maker to find tickets and learn more.

Former Concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and former director of the Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic, Andres Cardenes, spoke with Jim Cunningham about his past 36 years in the city of Pittsburgh, and why he is moving to Florida to continue his work. Both reminisce about Andres’ start with the PSO in the 1980s, and talk about the future of classical music for young musicians in conservatories around the United States. Andres also highlights his upcoming projects with Ian Hobson, and what he is looking forward to the most in sunny Florida.

Pittsburgh house painters and musicians, Ricky Granati and his son Jules Granati, spoke about The Merrick Art Gallery’s upcoming event, Toast, on May 25th at 5 pm which features WQED-FM’s own Anna Singer performing with a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra String Quartet. It will be a fun affair with food, wine, and great music! Ricky discusses how he first discovered the Art Gallery, and Jules highlights how big an effect classical music has had on his life. All three also highlight the newly discovered tunnels at the Art Gallery that might have been a part of the Underground Railroad. Visit https://www.merrickartgallery.org/ to learn more.

Executive Director of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures, Sony Ton-Aime, dives deep the Ten Evenings 2024-2025 season. Starting with Colm Toibin on September 16th with his newest book, Long Island, this years authors are exciting as ever! Sony highlights the diverse group that includes History professor and author of Democracy Awakening, Heather Cox Richardson, as well as newer names such as Pico Iyer and Leif Enger. The last lecture is will be on May 12th, 2025. Poetry, non-fiction, fiction, and world-class authors all at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh. Sony also highlights the different subscription packages they offer, and the meaning of his name. Visit https://pittsburghlectures.org/ to learn more and find individual tickets or subscriptions!

Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Nicholas Dragga, spoke about the last performance of the season, Cinderella, premiering May 17th to the 19th at the Benedum Center. This U.S premiere of this production with music by Prokofiev and choreography by Jaune Smeulders features the PBT Orchestra in the finale of the season. Nick also highlights next years 55th Emerald season with high quality productions all year long and talks about his first 6 months on the job are going. Visit https://pbt.org/ to learn more and find tickets!

Mr. CutTime AKA Rick Robinson, member of the Beo String Quartet Andrew “Gio” Giordano, and composer Jordan Speranzo, spoke about their collaboration in the Millvale Music Festival this Friday and Saturday, May 17th and 18th. For the first time ever, there will be classical music on the Millvale Music Festival stage! Jordan talks about conducting The Millvale Festival Orchestra, performing at the St. Nicholas church on Friday at 6:15 pm, and with the Beo String Quartet following at 7:45 pm. Rick highlights the three groups on Saturday at the church starting at 11 am: NAT 28, Resonance Works, and an Octet of PSO musicians! All three talk about how this collaboration came together and what to hear, eat, and see at the festival this weekend. The Beo String Quartet also performs three movements of Philip Glass’ String Quartet No. 3 “Mishima”. Visit https://www.millvalemusic.org/music to find the schedule and learn more.

Oboist Lenny Young and Mezzo-Soprano Raquel Winnica Young, spoke with WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham live on the morning show to highlight their upcoming concert with Chamber Music Pittsburgh, The Voice of Poulenc, this Thursday, May 16th, and Saturday, May 18th, at the Third Presbyterian Church. It is an evening of music, talk, dance, and culture, dedicated to the composer, Francis Poulenc. Lenny and Raquel both discuss how these concerts immerse the audience into the world of Poulnec. Raquel also talks about how she created the program and brought the participating artists together for a wonderful show. Visit https://www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org/pittsburgh-performs-24/ to learn more about the performance and find tickets.

Dr. Reverend Herbert V.R.P. Jones spoke with Jim Cunningham about The Heritage Gospel Chorale’s upcoming free spring concert on May 18th at 3 pm at the Pentecostal Temple Church in East Liberty. Soloists will include Anqwenique Kensil, Dr. Carnet Mowatt from Maryland, and Dr. B. De Neice Welch. Dr. Jones and Jim highlight the concert’s program, that includes spirituals, a tribute to the military, and a piece written by Dr. Jones. They also reminisce about past gospel chorale concerts and Dr. Jones’s many degrees.