Pianist Gerald Robbins is in town for two maser classes at CMU. He teaches at the Manhattan School of Music today with a large catalog of recordings including some unusual repertoire by Carl Reinecke and Henri Litolf, plus the Schumann Concerto recorded in Moscow with Kenneth Klein, recordings with the New York Philharmonics’ concertmaster Glen Dicterow and Principal Clarinet Stanley Drucker. In this conversation with Jim Cunningham he remembers working with Nathan Milstein and William Primrose and runs down his Pittsburgh relatives including Flavio and Tatjana Mead Chamis.

The  annual  Three Rivers Community Band Festival, founded in 2004, takes place March 30th, 2019 at the Upper Saint Clair High School Theater hosted by the East Winds Symphonic Band conducted by Susan Sands. The founder, Roger Schneider. who plays euphonium. and the Maestra joined Jim Cunningham in the Bayer Broadcast Center to discuss this year’s event starting at 2pm. There will be a Festival band and four participating bands along with a lively reception with giveaways to wrap the afternoon.  The Festival band will be prepared by Christopher Nichter, currently the 14th Director of Bearcat Bands at the University of Cincinnati. Previously, he held for 10 years the position of Assistant Director of Bands and Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. He served the WVU School of Music as the Founder and Director of the Mountaineer Music Academy, Director of the Concert Band.

Members of the Resonance Works production of Bach's St. John Passion stopped by WQED-FM to chat with Anna Singer. 

Ingrid Schaffner, Curator of the 57th Carnegie International joins Warhol Museum Curator of Performing Arts Ben Harrison to discuss A Night of Deep Listening featuring Joe McPhee, flutist and McArthur Foundation fellow Claire Chase and Peter Evans for an evening at Carnegie Music Hall Saturday March 23rd as part of the final weekend of the International.  They review greatest hits  of the International and describe the Dusty Groove exhibit within an exhibit which features art inspired by music and sound with reference to John Cage, Pauline Oliveros and Sun Ra. The concert will include Claire Chase playing Edgard Varese Density 21.5 , improvisation, poetry and music by Paulne Oliveros with her Sounds From Childhood and 13 Changes. Also on the program Lucia Dlugoszewski’s Space is A Diamond.  In conversation with Jim Cunningham at WQED-FM.

March 22nd and March 24, Resonance Works Pittsburgh present's Bach's "St. John Passion."   Artistic Director Maria Sensi Sellner stopped by WQED-FM to talk about it with Anna Singer.

Pianist James Iman has formed a piano duo with Christin Cooper. She's the associate music director at St. Paul's in Mount Lebanon. Their first concert takes place Sunday, March 17th at 4pm. They’re playing a program of Debussy, Feldman, Beck, and Mompou.  The Duo stopped by WQED-FM’s performance studio to speak with Jim Cunningham and to play the Gibson Capital Management Steinway in Debussy’s Six Epigraphes Antiques with the first music in the set -- Pour invoquer Pan , dieu du vert d’ete and the 5th piece in the Pour L’Egyptienne   

Pittsburgh Savoyards board members Lynette Garlan and Andy Hickly have the news on the production of The Gondoliers opening March 15 at the Carnegie Music Hall in Carnegie Pa. Lynette plays the violin Andy directs. 

The Academy Chamber Ensemble presents A Bassoon Runs Through It  with Bassoonist Amy Baker joining Warren Davidson as part of the concert series at Central Presbyterian Church, 305 Allegheny Street, Tarentum.  The concert begins at 4:00 P.M., and includes music of Mozart, Beethoven, and the Quintet for Contrabassoon and Strings by Willy Hess.  A Goodwill Offering will be received, and refreshments will follow the concert.  David Rankin, one of the organizers of the series and cellist  Paige Riggs have the details for Jim Cunningham.

This Saturday (3/9), 7:30pm at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra performs "Hidden Gems: Orchestral Music of Black Composers."  JSO Music Director talked to WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham about the concert.  

Dr. Herbert Jones discusses his concert with the Heritage Gospel Choir of Pittsburgh on Sunday, March 10th, 4pm at Calvary United Bethodist Church on the North Side Beeech Avenue.