Pianist Behzod Abduraimov returns to Heinz Hall to make his debut with Juraj Valcuha in the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2. They’ve recorded together in Italy for Decca but never given a live concert until Pittsburgh. Is playing with a mask fun? No. Especially during this concerto, which requires heavy lifting but he’s managing. Behzod talks all about Prokofiev and his recent recordings of Rachmaninov’s own piano in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he toured the villa Rachmaninov.   

Fanfare columnist for the Tribune-Review, Jean Horne, and Christine Thompson, long time member of the Mendelssohn Choir, both have worked tirelessly for the Pittsburgh Symphony Association event Symphony Splendor Holiday House Tour 2021 taking place at a gilded age Shadyside House Mansion the weekend of November 19th.  The story of the house and the forty musicians of the orchestra who will perform is discussed with Jim Cunningham. Christine also has details on the upcoming Choir events and Jean reveals at least one secret of her column.  

Daniel Meyer conducts the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops Troupe Vertigo concert this weekend at Heinz Hall with Bizet's Carmen, Ravel's Bolero, music by Gimenez, Marquez and an overall Latin Spanish flavor. The acrobatics and the orchestra come together in a way that Maestro Meyer suggest is not to be missed. Daniel also runs down upcoming events on his calendar and why you should drive to the Warner Theater in Erie to hear his orchestra there.

Kirill Karabits, born in Ukraine, makes his Heinz Hall debut October 29th and 31st with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Principal Trumpet Micah Wilkinson playing the Haydn Trumpet Concerto and the Anthony Plog Scherzo; plus the Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite and the Tchaikovsky Little Russian Symphony with its Ukrainian folk tunes. He has recorded more than a dozen CDs with standard and rare repertoire including a never before recorded Liszt opera. Now he feels he must spend more time in his homeland, Ukraine. Only a week ago he wasn’t certain if the Covid travel regulations would allow him to make the trip to Pittsburgh, but he is loving it now as you can hear in the conversation with Jim Cunningham recorded in the Conductor’s dressing room on October 28th right after rehearsal.

Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Trumpet Micah Wilkinson plays the Haydn Trumpet Concerto along with a world premiere of the orchestrated Scherzo by Anthony Plog, Micah’s teacher during his European year of study in Freiburg, Germany. He remembers with pleasure his Haydn performances while touring with his colleagues from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. He didn’t mind the cold at all. In this conversation with Jim Cunningham, Micah discusses his pandemic back porch concerts, his newly published books of trumpet solos, and the music he plays at Heinz Hall October 29th and 31st with the debut of Kirill Karabits.