@ the Symphony

Pianist and composer Andrew Kierszenbaum plays music from the hit show Arcane with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra! He speaks with Jim Cunningham about working on the show, classical inspirations, and what fans should expect. The Music of Arcane is Andrew's love letter to the series and to the world its art, story, and music bring to life. As both one of the show’s composers and a classical pian...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra played an all-American program to finish their classical season on Friday June 19th, 2026. It was to celebrate American 250 and featured Manfred Honeck conducting a brand new piece by Michael Daugherty titled "Dancing in the Streets," Jesse Montgomery's "Strum" and Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" which included 10 members of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre on stage...

Academy Award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham makes an appearance with the Pittsburgh Symphony as the narrator of Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait . He speaks with Jim Cunningham ahead of the performances about the piece. Abraham remembers his Pittsburgh roots, growing up in the Hill District. He praises the "generosity of spirit" that is unique to Pittsburgh. In reference to Lincoln Portrait , he...

On Wednesday June 10th, 2025, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announced they have renewed the contract of Music Director Manfred Honeck through 2033, which will make him the longest tenured Music Director in the history of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra! WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with Manfred about why he decided to stay with the PSO, even though he's had offers from other orchestras ove...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announced the renewal of Manfred Honeck's contract through 2033 at a Press Conference on Wednesday June 10th, 2026 at Heinz Hall. Speakers included PSO President and CEO Melia Tourangeau, PSO Board Chair Antony Bucci, PSO Concertmaster David McCarroll, Mayor Corey O'Connor, and Manfred Honeck. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com f...

On Friday May 29th, 2026, WQED-FM broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert live from Heinz Hall. Led by Gemma New making her PSO debut, the orchestra played "Rainphase" by Salina Fisher and "Scheherazade" by Rimsky-Korsakov. Stefan Jackiw returned after more than 10 years to play the Korngold Violin Concerto. Before the concert, WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with PSO cellist Charlie Po...

Rising star British conductor Edward Gardner makes his debut May 15th and 17th at Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Sitting down in his dressing room after a double rehearsal on Thursday afternoon, he told Jim Cunningham about his program with Oliver Knussen's "Flourish with Fireworks," Beethoven's First Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony. So was the Sixth a farewell...

The Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 is her favorite but she knows them all. Yulianna Avdeeva brings the 2nd to Heinz Hall with the Pittsburgh Symphony April 10th and 12th conducted by Rafael Payare. Yulianna Avdeeva spoke with Jim Cunningham about the special features of the Second Concerto. It is filled with tricky writing but born in Moscow, Yulianna Avdeeva has special love for the complex compo...

Rafael Payare has been a rising star for more than a decade having worked with Gustavo Dudamel, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim and Lorin Maazel on his way to the Music Director spot in Montreal and San Diego. In his dressing room with the portrait of former Pittsburgh Symphony Music Director Lorin Maazel looking over his shoulder, he tells Jim Cunningham he loved playing the French Horn in the S...

The Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, Daniele Rustioni, speaks with Jim Cunningham in the Guest Conductor's Dressing Room at Heinz Hall about his program for March 27,28 and 29, with Yefim Bronfman playing the Schumann Concerto, Beethoven's Eroica Symphony and Samuel Barber's School for Scandal Overture. Maestro Rustioni discusses his upcoming concerts, his work in Pittsburgh (i...

Piano superstar Yefim Bronfman is a Mets fan. Yefim also loves making his coffee mostly at home in New York when he isn't jetting around China, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Boston or wherever great music happens.     He spoke with Jim Cunningham in his dressing room at Heinz Hall after rehearsing the Schumann Concerto. He plays March 27-29 with Daniele Rustioni and the Pittsburgh Sympho...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Manfred Honeck, plays Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection". WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey. She talks about singing with Ying Fang before; her thoughts on the music; and this being her very first time in Pittsburgh, even though she grew up in Virginia. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See htt...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Manfred Honeck, plays Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection". WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with soprano Ying Fang. She talks about her work with Manfred Honeck; doing the piece recently with Yannick Nezet-Seguin; performing Mozart's Idomeneo with Manfred at the Met; and her espresso machine she takes on the road with her. Hosted by...

Piano legend, global classical music superstar, and Musical America Artist of the year 2026 Emanuel Ax plays Brahms' First Concerto with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony this weekend at Heinz Hall! WQED's Jim Cunningham ventured down to Heinz Hall for a chat with Mr. Ax during Friday's rehearsals.   Ax talks about his honors and the memory he has of pianist Arthur Rubinstein at the Rubin...

On Friday February 13, 2026, WQED-FM broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert live from Heinz Hall. The concert featured Arturs Maskats "Tango;" Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 with soloist Randall Goosby; Barber's Adagio for Strings, and Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story." After the concert, WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Jim Cunningham about the scene in the lobby wi...

On Friday February 13, 2026, WQED-FM broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert live from Heinz Hall. The concert featured Arturs Maskats "Tango;" Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 with soloist Randall Goosby; Barber's Adagio for Strings, and Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story." During intermission, WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham was joined by Music Director Manfred Honeck, who tal...

On Friday February 13, 2026, WQED-FM broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert live from Heinz Hall. The concert featured Arturs Maskats "Tango;" Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 with soloist Randall Goosby; Barber's Adagio for Strings, and Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story." Prior to the start of the concert WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham was joined by cellist Charlie Powers, w...

WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with PSO guest violinist Josef Spacek making his Heinz Hall debut with the Dvorak Violin Concerto. Spacek spoke about his long relationship with guest conductor Petr Popelka; his work in his native country and arrival in the US at Curtis in Philadelphia before going to Julliard where he studied with Itzhak Perlman. Spacek has worked to develop a new line of violin st...

WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with returning guest conductor Petr Popelka leading the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Brahms' Academic Festival Overture, the Dvorak Violin Concerto and Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. Maestro Popelka speaks in his dressing room about Pittsburgh's connection to the Bartok Concerto for Orchestra; his work with soloist Josef Spacek; their love of fellow countryman...

WQED-FM was at Heinz Hall for a live broadcast of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Friday January 16, 2026. The concert featured guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk conducting "Flounce" by Lotta Wennakoski and the Sibelius Symphony No. 2, along with Lucas and Arthur Jussen playing the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos. WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham was joined by Vice President of Artistic Planning for...

WQED-FM was at Heinz Hall for a live broadcast of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Friday January 16, 2026. The concert featured guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk conducting "Flounce" by Lotta Wennakoski and the Sibelius Symphony No. 2, along with Lucas and Arthur Jussen playing the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos. WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham was joined by guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk during...

WQED-FM was at Heinz Hall for a live broadcast of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Friday January 16, 2026. The concert featured guest conductor Dima Slobodeniouk conducting "Flouce" by Lotta Wennakoski and the Sibelius Symphony No. 2, along with Lucas and Arthur Jussen playing the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos. Before the concert, host Jim Cunningham spoke with Principal Contrabassoon James...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra played Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man;" Beethoven's Violin Concerto with PSO Concertmaster David McCarroll as soloist, and the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 at Heinz Hall the weekend of December 5th, 2025. WQED-FM was there to broadcast the concert on Sunday December 7th live. After the concert, WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with violist Sean Juhl about thei...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra played Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man;" Beethoven's Violin Concerto with PSO Concertmaster David McCarroll as soloist, and the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 at Heinz Hall the weekend of December 5th, 2025. WQED-FM was there to broadcast the concert on Sunday December 7th live. During intermission, WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with PSO Music Director Manfred...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra played Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man;" Beethoven's Violin Concerto with PSO Concertmaster David McCarroll as soloist, and the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 at Heinz Hall the weekend of December 5th, 2025. WQED-FM was there to broadcast the concert on Sunday December 7th live. Before the concert, WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with PSO violist Tatjana Mead Ch...