Baritone Gregg Baker, who sang Beethoven's 9th Symphony in Asia with the Pittsburgh Symphony last year, returns to portray three great black baseball pioneers in Richard Danielpour's Pastime with Leonard Slatkin conducting. Baker also talks about Danielpour's 2005 opera, Margaret Garner, in which he created the role of Robert.

Leonard Slatkin and composer Mason Bates talk us through an American Voyage in music, including Bates' Liquid Interface for orchestra and electronics, Bernstein's Three Dances from On the Town, Gershwin's An American in Paris, and Richard Danielpour's Pastime, a tribute to three black baseball heroes.

The legendary violinist teams up with Manfred Honeck and the PSO for concerts at Heinz Hall and on tour. She talks about the orchestra, her recordings, Andre Previn, Brahms, Joachim, motherhood, New York attractions, von Karajan, and more.

What did Beethoven hear as his deafness progressed? What caused his hearing loss, and how did he overcome it? Dr. Catherine Palmer from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center explores these questions with QED's Jim Cunningham.

Actor John Lithgow talks about Mozart's Requiem, as he narrates a recreation of Mozart's funeral mass with the PSO. He also talks about his books and songs for kids, the TV series Dexter and Third Rock, his Broadway roles, and more.

The Chinese-born pianist talks about Sichuan food, Tchaikovsky and his Concerto #1, her first American Thanksgiving, her career development, Germany, and meeting Van Cliburn as a medalist at his namesake competition.

South Korean violinist Chee-Yun talks about working with conductor Marek Janowski, the special qualities of the Mendelssohn E Minor concerto, and about her recent guest appearance on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

The French piano soloist talks about the concertos of Saint-Saens, buying his trademark red socks at the Vatican, and his interest in jazz pianist Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, jazz clubs, Parisian restaurants, and Gershwin. He also mentions future Khatchaturian and Liszt projects.

Janowski talks about Halloween, Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique, his recordings "in concert" with the Pittsburgh Symphony for the Pentatone label at Heinz Hall, Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto #2, and the future of the arts in Germany at a time of financial crisis.

The Pittsburgh Symphony's Principal Guest Conductor talks about making a little "symphony" of Samuel Barber's "perfect" little pieces; Copland's El Salon Mexico and dances from "Rodeo," John Williams as the 20th century's most influential composer, and getting speeding tickets in the expansive landscapes of the American West.