The Pittsburgh Symphony presents "Hollywood Hits" in a virtual concert found on the Pittsburgh Symphony website from August 23rd at 7:30pm through September 5th - with music from Game Of Thrones, Henry Mancini, George Gershwin and John Lunn's score for Downton Abbey. In his online concert, Jack Everly speaks to the camera in introductory remarks. Maestro Everly is one of America's most widely traveled guest conductors with regular spots at four orchestras and serving as conductor of "A Capitol Fourth" and the Memorial Day US Capitol celebrations with the National Symphony for many years. So is the American orchestra getting as many minutes on TV in 2021? You must judge. He speaks about the broad array of military trumpets that participated in this year's Olympic Fanfare by John Williams, remembers Gene Kelly and Oscar Levant, recalls almost conducting the Civic Light Opera, the challenges of pandemic programs, and the hope of getting audiences back in seats in this July 26, 2021 conversation by Zoom with Jim Cunningham.

Pittsburgh Symphony Associate Conductor Earl Lee will lead four concerts at Hartwood Acres in July and August for he Summer With the Symphony series. He discuses his programs on July 30 and 31 with violinist Marta Krechkovsky in the Tchaikovsky Concerto, Rossini's Thieving Magpie Overture and Brahms First Symphony. On August 6 and 7, Maestro Lee joins cellist Will Chow to perform the Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations, Mendelssohn's Scherzo From A Midsummer Nights Dream and dances by Brahms and Dvorak plus Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. He discusses his wife's work as flutist with the New York Philharmonic, studying Mendelssohn in Leipzig, and more in this interview with Jim Cunningham.

Pittsburgh Symphony Principal  Pops Conductor Byron Stripling leads four concerts at Hartwood Acres in the Summer with the Symphony series. In this conversation with Jim Cunningham, he joins soloist singing and playing bass Nicki Parrott to talk about their favorite jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstein and George Benson, Nikki's journey from Australia to the USA, work with Pittsburgh bass superstar Ray Brown, how singers learn to control their breath at a whisper and the program at Hartwood Friday night July 23rd at 8:15pm titled "Songbook and Sunset," Saturday morning July 24th at 11:15am it's "Melodies and Movement" for families, and August 13th and 14th with "Summer and Sinatra." With food trucks! 

The Principal Flute of the New York Philharmonic, Robert Langevin, served as Principal in Pittsburgh for eight years until he was asked to join New York by Kurt Mazur. He discusses his new cd on the Bridge label "La Belle Epoque" with the Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Syrinx, Faure Fantaisie and Morceau, Enesco Cantabile and presto, Mouquet Flute de Pan, Widor Suite and Gaubert Nocturne, Fantaisie and Madrigal with pianist Margaret Kampmeier. Robert remembers his years with Lorin Maazel and Mariss Jansons in Pittsburgh and New York, talks about his love of summers at Chautauqua, New York, recordings of Mozart and Nielsen and whether he has bribed the director of Live From Lincoln Center to feature his solos on the PBS New Year's Eve broadcasts. The tradition of French flute playing is explored in detail in this conversation with Jim Cunningham.

Pittsburgh Symphony Acting Principal Viola, Tatjana Mead Chamis, and violinist Jeremias Sergiani-Velazquez talk about rrecording Arnold Shoenberg's "Transfigured Night" and the musical influences that shape them - including Tatjana in Germany at age 7 winding up in Utah with a slight European accent, studying at Curtis and working with the Philadelphia Orchetra's Joseph de Pasquale. Can either musician tango? Tatjana wants to and Velazquez played in a Grammy award winning tango ensemble but the steps are still a mystery. Jeremias describes his young years in Cordoba, Argentina riding the bus 10 hours to lessons in Buenos Aires, later joining Midori in playing chamber music for refugees in camps and shelters after the earthquake in Nepal and much more in this converstaion with Jim Cunningham.