Voice of the Arts

Pittsburgh musician and painter, Ricky Granati, highlights 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. Ricky discusses how he first discovered the Art Gallery when one of the owners contracted him to repaint the old train station, and how his meeting with Anna shaped this event into something larger. Visit https://www.merrickartgallery.org/ to learn more and find tickets.

Executive Director of Brew House Arts, Natalie Sweet, and 2023-2024 Distillery Emerging Artists in Residence, Imani Batts and Armanis Fuentes, spoke with WQED-FM about their upcoming free exhibition, Getting the Spirit Out, at Brew House Arts in the South Side, opening Thursday, May 9th at 6 pm, and running until June 22nd. Imani talks about her Get Ready With Me fashion collective that celebrates black hair and beauty salons. Armanis highlights their foray into oil-based paintings and frescos that investigate domestic work, in one instance posing a mop as a female in the nude. Natalie also talks about the Artist Panel Talk on May 30th that will feature all of the 7 artists in the exhibition, and will announce next years Artists in Residency. Lastly, Brew House Arts will host a RAD Staycation on June 15th for their annual open house! Visit brewhousearts.org to learn more.

Dr. Rachel Berger sat down with WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham live to talk about her wind quintet, Desperate Measures, performing in Tuesday Musical Club’s free Wind Power concert at Rodef Shalom’s Levy Hall on Tuesday, May 14th at 1pm. Rachel talks about the program that includes Gershwin, Kaspar Kummer, and new works by Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda and Peter Schickele. Rachel also highlights her 15 years of performing with Tuesday Musical Club and how her background in medicine connects with her musical interests. Rachel and Jim play two selections of the program from the Quintet’s rehearsal, “Autumn Woods” by Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda, and an excerpt of the second movement from Endre Szervankszky’s “Blaserquintett”(Quintet for Winds) piece. Visit https://www.tuesdaymusicalclub.org/events/public/article/-wind-power-tmc-winds-in-concert-/5217/c15/ to learn more about the concert.

Director Nancy McNulty McGeever, Music Director, Deana Muro, and Producer Nancy Zionts, spoke with WQED-FM about Front Porch Theatrical’s upcoming summer shows. “A…My Name is Still Alice” will run at the New Hazlett Theater from May 17th to 26th, and “Bandstand” will run August 16th to the 25th. Nancy McNulty highlights her role as the Director of “A…My Name is Still Alice” that is a 90’s musical sequel. Deana Muro talks about her challenging role as Music Director for of the Pittsburgh premiere of “Bandstand” with two bands! Nancy Zionts spoke about how Front Porch Theatricals picks out the two musicals they do each year, and what is so special about this year’s lineup. All three women highlight the importance of female representation in theatre and how they all started with Front Porch Theatricals. Visit https://www.frontporchpgh.com/ to learn more and find tickets for their upcoming summer season.

Reverend Dr. Shelia Johnson-Hunt sat down with WQED-FM’s Anna Singer to talk about the City Wide Revival on May 7th and 8th at Petra International Ministries. This event includes multiple styles of African American music, dance, preaching, and much more. This free event will also feature Bishop Lisa Weah and Elder Justin Hunt from Baltimore, MD. Dr. Hunt talked about her three compositions that will be featured in this program, including her Billboard Single Hit, “Freedom”, her musical family, and her background. This event and interview are part of WQED’s Gospel programming that highlights local concerts in the Western Pennsylvania area. Visit the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Pittsburgh and Vicinity’s Facebook Page to learn more.

Watch this Episode on YouTube

Opera superstar Renee Fleming will be on the air for the Saturday Metropolitan Opera broadcasts with the Hours by Kevin Puts on May 18 at 1pm but less two days before her return in the role at the Met, she spoke with Jim Cunningham about her new book “Music and Mind” published by Viking on April 9th, 2024. She has donated a copy of the book with a cd of the Hours and tickets to The Hours at the Met to the silent auction and Franck Conrad Birthday Party at the Train Station in Wilkinsburg just a few blocks from where broadcasting began on Penn Avenue in Wilkinsburg on May 4th from 1 till 4pm.

With multiple contributions from experts in the field of music and wellness and over 540 pages, she spoke of her long exploration of the growing field. Renee Fleming also talked about her visit to Chautauqua on July 27th, 2024 and her work in putting together a week at Chautauqua on the Transformative Power of Music which includes a Monday morning lecture she will give in the Amphitheater. Renee Fleming speaks about her work with broadcasting on PBS, her family ties in Western Pennsylvania dating back to her birthplace in Indiana, PA and other family in Coraopolis, her husband from Pittsburgh and her brother-in-law, Harry Jessell, who was the Editor of Broadcasting Magazine and now serves on the board of the Museum of Broadcasting in Pittsburgh.

Pianist and musicologist Robert Levin with the Academy of Ancient Music discusses with Jim Cunningham the 30 year project to record the complete Mozart Piano Concertos with original instruments and multiple pianos. Robert Levin explains which new additions to the set involved his research and completions. Robert explains how improvisations were added that resemble the technique of jazz players like Art Tatum, He also remembers his colleague Christopher Hogwood, describes the extra detail for notes and art with the packaging of each hard bound booklet, and suggests why classical radio has spotlight hours of Mozart. He remembers his own experience as a dj with a good reason why listeners should help out during the fundraising drives.

Educatory and storyteller, Mike Perry, spoke with WQED-FM about his upcoming show at New Hazlett Theater on Monday, May 6th at 7pm, Saving Face: Memoir of a Circus Clown. This one man show features Mike Perry using the art of storytelling to explore tales of circus clowns drawn from his own experience as a clown for Ringling Brothers Circus and why today’s stigma around them is so scary. Mike also discusses why he continues to be a storyteller and what drove him to the circus. Visit https://primestage.com/events/ to learn more and find tickets for this fundraising event.

Jim Cunningham spoke with broadcasting legend Susie Barbour about the National Museum of Broadcasting event on Saturday May 4th from 1-4pm at the Wilkinsburg Train Station celebrating the 150th birthday of Frank Conrad. The event includes birthday festivities, music by DJ Sims, a silent auction, historical displays, broadcast personalities, the beautifully restored train station and more! The key presentation will be an engaging panel with distinguished broadcasters, past and present — Jack Bogut, Sally Wiggin and Bill Flanagan—moderated by our own Jim Cunningham!

It’s almost summer! Time to break out the picnic blankets and head to a park. This Voice of the Arts episode kicks off a series about summertime activities with Executive Director of South Park Theatre, Lorraine Mszanski. Lorraine highlights SPT’s Mainstage Season that starts on Thursday, May 2nd with “Run for your Wife” and ends with “Sleuth” on September 19th, as well as their Children’s Theatre season that features classic fairytales, for kids, by kids. And for more summertime fun, South Park Theatre will also host Party in the Park on Saturday, May 25th at 4 pm in collaboration with Bethel Park Community Foundation, Bethel Park Public Library, Bethel Park Education Foundation, and Bethel Park Historical Society. There is so much to do in South Park this summer! Visit https://sites.google.com/a/southparktheatre.com/south-park-theatre to learn more.

Watch this Episode on YouTube

World renowned pianist, composer, and recording artist, John Bayless, and award-winning director, Stewart M. Schulman, spoke live with Anna Singer about their new documentary, Left Alone Rhapsody, that will have its Pittsburgh premiere as a part of the Jewish Film Festival’s opening night on Thursday May 2nd at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Left Alone Rhapsody chronicles John Bayless’s rise from a young musical prodigy to an internationally renowned recording artist, and his courageous struggle post-stroke to reinvent himself. The gala will include a screening of the film, a live Q&A with John and Stewart, a live performance by John, and a dessert reception. Charitable proceeds benefit Film Pittsburgh and the John Bayless Fund for Brain Research. John discusses his struggles after his stroke and reminisces about his 2006 album, The Puccini Album: Arias for Piano. Visit https://filmpittsburgh.org/films/left-alone-rhapsody to learn more about the film and find tickets for Thursday night.

Director Andy Hickly and Board Treasurer and Production Manager, Lynette Garlan, from the Pittsburgh Savoyards discuss their upcoming production of Sleeping Beauty at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center May 3rd to 11th. Andy talks about his adaptation of the well-known fairytale, and how he decided to focus on the love story between Rose and her Princeling. Lynette also highlights an art reception on May 19th from 3 to 5 pm in Bellevue to showcase 3 Savoyard visual artists. She then leaks the Savoyards upcoming 87th season starting this summer with A Flea in Her Ear and ending with HMS Pinafore in March of 2025. Visit https://pittsburghsavoyards.org/ to learn more about their upcoming events and find tickets for Sleeping Beauty.