Voice of the Arts

Stephen Schultz directs the CMU Baroque Ensemble October 6, 2024 in a free concert at Alumni Concert Hall on Carnegie Mellon University's Campus. It will be live streamed from the CMU Music website.

Professor Schulz talks with Jim Cunningham about the program including rarely heard duets by the last son of JS Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann, the 4th Bach Brandenburg Concerto, Handel, Corelli and Albinoni. Stephen teaches popular courses on the Beatles and Mahler in addition to his work with music students. He plays the flute as a regular member of the Philharmonia Baroque Ensemble in San Francisco and Musica Angelica in Los Angeles. He has also appeared on over 60 recordings.

His latest recording is all Couperin and he picks a favorite to share.

Pittsburgh Concert Society presents Juon Project: The Trio in the Major Winner concerts series. Pittsburgh Symphony violist, Sean Juhl, with Pittsburgh Symphony violinist Yingchen Zhang, and pianist Igor Kraevsky talk about the October 6th concert at Kresge Theater on Carnegie Mellon University's campus.

“The Trio” has been created to bring together various instrumentalists in promoting the Russian-Swiss composer Paul Juon (1872-1940). In every concert, in different combinations of ensembles, musicians will play at least one work of the composer, allowing the public to get acquainted with his extensive chamber and instrumental heritage. Juon was once described by a perspective critic as “the missing link between Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky”. Juon was quite a well-known composer in the first third of 20th century. His works were performed and published throughout Europe and even in America. But after Juon’s death, his renown rapidly waned.

The concert also includes Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet music for trio and arrangements of Leroy Anderson’s Blue Tango and Serenade. Igor, Sean and Yingchen all relate their musical paths and discuss the Pittsburgh Symphony concert of September 28 which Igor heard and Sean and Yingchen played in.

Visit https://pittsburghconcertsociety.org/ to learn more.

The Pittsburgh Camerata is celebrating 50 years! Friend of the Camerata, Jayne Adair Cox, and Artistic Director, Mark Anderson, spoke about their upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday, October 22nd at 5:30 pm at the Pittsburgh Golf Club.

This 50th Anniversary Celebration will feature music by Pittsburgh's beloved icon, Fred Rogers. WQED-FM's very own Jim Cunningham will also be the Master of Ceremonies. Mark and Jayne highlight why they decided to perform arrangements of Fred Rogers' songs, and their connection to the icon himself.

In addition, members of the Camerata came by WQED-FM's studios to perform two songs by Fred Rogers: You've Got to Do It and It's Such a Good Feeling.

Visit https://pittsburghcamerata.org/50th-anniversary-celebration/ to learn more.

It's another season at Chamber Music Pittsburgh! New Executive and Artistic Director, Martha Bonta, spoke about their 2024-2025 mainstage season that starts with a performance by the Escher Quartet with Jordan Bak on October 21st at the PNC Theatre. The quartet will be performing some beautiful works, including Samuel Barber's Quartet in B Minor, and Johannes Brahms String Quintet in G Major.

Martha discusses the rest of the highlights of the mainstage season, including performances by the PUBLIQuartet, the Dover Quartet, and the Les Delices. Martha also talks about her career, starting in school as a literature students to managing artists like the Julliard String Quartet as Vice President of Colbert Artists Management.

Visit https://www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org/2024-2025-mainstage-live/ to learn more about upcoming performances and to find tickets.

Tuesday Musical Club's next recital series will feature new members of the club in a soloist concert! Pianist Roy Xiong, and new Program Chair Catherine Crotty, spoke about the recital on Tuesday, October 8th at 1 pm at Rodef Shalom's Levy Hall.

Catherine describes the wonderful line up of musicians in the group, including violinist Warren Davidson, pianist Amaury Morales, and soprano Zuly Inirio. Roy discusses his move from Plano, TX to Pittsburgh two years ago, and of his recent win as a Major Winner at the Pittsburgh Concert Society.

Roy performs Frederic Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 3 Tristesse in WQED-FM's studios just before the interview, and talks about his love of the music.

Visit tuesdaymusicalclub.org/ to learn more about the club, how to join if interested, and to find the livestream link of the free concert!

Steffan Triplett discusses his new book, Bad Forecast, a powerful hybrid memoir told through lyrical and fractured prose. He will be launching his book at the White Whale Bookstore on Thursday, October 3rd at 7 pm.

Steffan delves into the personal and societal storms that shape our lives, exploring themes of grief, race, and queerness through the metaphor of weather and natural disasters. He discusses how his experiences growing up in Middle America inform the narrative, what secrets lie beneath its surface, and how we interpret both the literal and figurative forecasts of our past and future.

Visit https://steffantriplett.com/ to learn more about Steffan and his work, and visit https://whitewhalebookstore.com/events to learn more about White Whale's book launches throughout the year.

It is one of the most funniest Gilbert and Sullivan operas on stage! Stage Director, Patrick Daniel, and Production Manager, Lynette Garlan, spoke about the Savoyards upcoming production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience. Performances will be October 4th-6th and 11th-13th at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center in Ross Township.

Patrick discusses the hilarity of this operetta, as two rival poets vie for the affection of a beautiful dairy maid, Patience. He also discusses how working with the Savoyards for the first time has been going, and what his favorite part of the show is.

Lynette talks about a staged reading of The Tell-tale Heart, adapted by Pittsburgh local Michael McGovern, just in time for Halloween. That reading will be on October 25th and 26th at The Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center in Bellevue. She also highlights the rest of the the Savoyards season, which includes Babes in Toyland in December, and HMS Pinafore in March.

Visit https://pittsburghsavoyards.org/ to learn more, find tickets, and find the livestream link!

Passionate recording artist and acclaimed cellist, Juliana Soltis spoke about her third studio album, American Woman, which is releasing on October 4th. This album features works for cello and piano by Mary Howe, Amy Beach, Margaret Bonds, Helen Crane, Dorothy Rudd Moore, and Florence Price. Juliana discusses how this album celebrates the lost legacy of American women composers.

Juliana also talks about her love of the cello growing from a school assembly in Charleston, WV, and her wish as a child to play more music by women. Visit https://julianasoltismusic.com/ to learn more about Juliana and her work.

Violist Warren Davidson talks about his fall concerts with the group he founded, The Academy String Quartet. He appears at the Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum on October 6th at 2 pm, on October 20th at 2 pm at Allegheny Universalist Church on Pittsburgh’s Northside, and on November 3rd at 3pm at Zion’s Lutheran Church in Greensburg as part of the series hosted by the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra.

Warren is also appearing as an artist member with Tuesday Musical Club, playing the viola with the Edgewood Symphony, and Monique Mead in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante. He has also served as Concertmaster of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra and regularly playing in the Canton Ohio Orchestra. He retired after 21 years teaching at Slippery Rock University but there’s no dust on his wheels and he’s doing what he loves.

At the close of the conversation he introduces a recording he made at WQED-FM in the studio with the Academy Quartet of a Schubert Quartet which is rarely played. Keep up to date with his Academy Concerts Facebook page.

Prime Stage's Homewood Cemetery Walk is coming back this year! Prime Stage Theatre's Artistic Director, Wayne Brinda, and Public Relations Director, Lawrence McCullough, spoke about the Cemetery Walk, and many more exciting events happening soon.

This Thursday, September 26th, visit Prime Stage at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library from 7 - 8:30 pm. On Saturday, September 28th, they are hosting their 2nd Annual Cemetery Walk at Homewood Cemetery, featuring new stories of Pittsburgher's! Hear about Sylvester Stephen Marvin, the founder of Nabisco, and inventor of Fig Newtons. Or meet an Irish emigrant who survived the Great Pittsburgh Fire of 1845, or even a Civil War nurse!

Wayne and Lawrence also highlight the start of their 2024-2025 season with Great Expectations, and a play written by Lawrence about the women who raised America's presidents.

Visit https://primestage.com/ to learn more!