Pittsburgh Symphony Co-Principal Bassoon David Sogg tells us about the music commissioned for his birthday which he plays at Heinz Hall Center Stage. He also fills us in on pandemic playing and his recent reading list.

Pittsburgh Symphony violinist Marta Krechkovsky discusses the music she chose to play from Lithuania for Center Stage on WQED-FM and what she has been up to during the pandemic year as well as the Front Row programs available from the Pittsburgh Symphony website.

Pittsburgh Symphony Music Director Manfred Honeck discusses his new programs, the first in a year away during the pandemic, presenting a premiere of an arrangement of Dvorak's Gypsy Songs including the Song My Mother Taught Me. Guests Simone Porter, violin in Kreisler and Part, Inon Barnatan playing Mozart, George Walker's Lyric for Strings and Tcahikovsky's Souvenir of Florence. Maestro Honeck runs down his changing calendar and talks about his admiration for John Williams' new cd "Live in Vienna," which was to have been the center of a concert in Pittsburgh which he still hopes to reschedule. He also expresses his admiration for the partnership and friendship with WQED-FM.

Violinist Simone Porter joins Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony to play three favorites--Winter from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi, Praeludium and Allegro by Kreisler and Fratres by Arvo Part. She talks about the concert which can be seen in the Front Row series starting Saturday April 10th from the orchestra website. Simone discusses nerves and the musician, the strange world of pandemic music making, her latest book suggestions including one from her blog - "The Possesed Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them" by Elif Batuman, she reveals a favorite hipser cafe near Echo Park in LA, great for books, coffee and people watching and invites you to check out her new instrument by Bergonzi.

Ron Samuels recorded music by Bela Kovacs at the center of the Heinz Hall stage to be presented as part of the Symphony on the Air series at 8:30 Monday Through Friday on the Classical QED Morning Show with support from the Spanos Group of Raymond James and the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony. He spoke with Jim Cunningham about Hungarian clarinet tradition and Kovacs compositions.

Ron Samuels was appointed second clarinetist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by former Music Director Mariss Jansons at the start of the 2001–02 season. He joined the faculty of Duquesne University that same year. Previously, he was a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and he served as principal clarinetist of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, guest principal clarinetist with both the Minnesota Orchestra and San Diego Symphony, and guest second clarinetist with the Cleveland Orchestra.

A native of San Francisco, Ron Samuels has enjoyed a richly varied career as a symphonic musician, chamber music and concerto soloist, and as a collegiate professor and master class clinician. He graduated from the University of Southern California where he studied with Mitchell Lurie and where he has frequently returned as a guest lecturer. Lurie had served under Fritz Reiner as clarinet in Pittsburgh and Chicago before his death in 2008.

Mary Persin, Vice President of Artistic Planning for the Pittsburgh Symphony with Jennifer Schliepper, Co Owner and Creative Director of Flying Scooter Productions, discuss the online series of concerts which can also be seen on Comcast On Demand, along with the 125th anniversary special presentation available with a $25 contribution. There will also be an edition created for broadcast on WQED13 of the anniversary celebration.

Lorna McGhee, Principal Flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, performs works of Telemann, Blochwitz, and Dohnanyi, talks about the importance of each piece, and how she is handling the pandemic.

Center Stage features Pittsburgh Symphony musicians recorded at Heinz Hall, and heard on the radio Wednesday's at 8:30am - part of our Symphony On Air feature heard Monday through Friday underwritten by the Spanos Group of Raymond James and the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony. You can listen to the Pittsburgh Symphony every morning at 8:30. James Rodgers, Principal Contrabassoon, recorded Bach and Schulhoff along with conversation with Jim Cunningham.

Pittsburth Symphony Music Director Manfred Honeck reveals the details of his interpretation of Beethoven's Ninth newly released on the Reference label - available February 12.  He speaks from his office at Heinz Hall where he has just arrived to conduct some online performances. The details will be announced in just a few days.

Jim Nova, Utility Trombone of the Pittsburgh Symphony, tells us about the holiday edition of Front Row available from the Pittsburgh Symphony website and he'll share some recent recordings he's made of music by John Williams.