Imani Winds bassoon and Juilliard grad Monica Ellis has returned to the city where she was born to play the Mozart Bassoon Concerto in "Sounds of Summer on Centre" - tonight, July 31st, 7pm, at the Elsie Hillman Auditorium of the Kaufmann Center at the Hill House. She tells us about her Pittsburgh work with Pittsburgh Symphony Bassoon Mark Pancerev, her work at CAPA, and elsewhere around the city. She will return with her colleagues this fall to play for Chamber Music Pittsburgh. At the end of the conversation  she demonstrates her instrument with a little Mozart.

Pittsburgh Symphony cellist Bronwyn Banderdt joined Coordinator of Learning and Community Engagement Adriel Lyles to describe the “Sounds of Summer on Centre” , the concert by the Pittsburgh Symphony Tuesday July 31, at 7pm in the Elsie Hillman Auditorium, Kaufman Center at the Hill House with Monica Ellis playing the Mpozart Bassoon Concerto, Anqwenique singing and the Florence Price String Quartet played by members of the orchestra with poetry and African drumming, Kenny Black has jazz afterward and Andres Franco conducts.

Pittsburgh Symphony Music Director Manfred Honeck talks about his weekend with Yo-Yo Ma and Yuho Pohjonen playing Beethoven, plus an honor he received for this 10th Anniversary, as well as how nice it is to have his son Simeon and his wife Christiane in town.  He also describes the joy of working with Emanuel Ax and presenting the Berlioz Te Deum with two choirs, organ and soloist for the first time ever to wrap up the Mellon Grand Classics Season June 15th through 17th at Heinz Hall.

Yo-Yo Ma talks with Jim Cunningham about his Saturday June 9th, 2018 concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck playing the Dvorak Cello Concerto. He mentions his years of work with  the orchestra and remembers his friendship with Fred Rogers plus he shares his thoughts about a trip to Braddock Pa as part of the Kennedy Center’s Arts Across America project.

Pittsburgh Symphony Resident Conductor Andres Franco updates us some of his summer concerts including the May 31st concert in Wilkinsburg.

Augustine Hadelich returns to Heinz Hall with the Dvorak Violin Concerto. He fills us in on what it’s like to be the Musical America Musician of the Year 2018, explains why he loves the Dvorak, says he loves the music of Thomas Ades, and suggests what a perfect day at Chautauqua, New York might be like as he made his American debut there and has returned eight times.

The Music Director of the Cabrillo Festival, Romanian born Cristian Macelaru, makes his debut with his fellow countryman Georges Enesco and the First Romanian Rhapsody, the Dvorak Violin Concerto with Augustine Hadelich, and the Copland Symphony No. 3. Maestro Macelaru talks about all three favorites and his youth in communist Romania.

Erin Lynn, Director of Sales for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, fills us in on the new Young Professionals Club.

This weekend, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs Verdi's Requiem at Heinz Hall.  Music Director Manfred Honeck talks with Jim Cunningham about the work, along with other topics, including his conducting of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra Side by Side concert earlier in the week.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck joined the QED Morning Show to talk about this weekend's concerts with Steven Stucky's "Silent Spring", Brahms' Symphony No. 4 and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with soloist James Ehnes.