Voice of the Arts

Get your forks and taste buds ready! Pittsburgh Musical Theater's upcoming professional production is "Waitress"! Actress playing the starring role, Zanny Laird, talks about her role in the upcoming production. Her character, Jenna, takes an emotional journey throughout the story, as she comes to grips with her stalling career and marriage. With dreams of one day opening up her own pie shop, an un...

The Pittsburgh Opera is premiering a brand new opera, "Woman with Eyes Closed" this weekend! Composer of the opera, Jennifer Higdon, talks with Jim Cunningham live about her work on the new opera. The story is inspired by a real 2012 art heist in Rotterdam, involving works by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, and many others. The thief hid the paintings from his mother, who then burned them to protect him....

The spring semester is wrapping up across college's in Pittsburgh. One Carnegie Mellon University student, Logan Williams, will perform his end of year recital. Logan, soprano Sarah Austin, and pianist Billie Miller, talk with Jim Cunningham live about their upcoming concert. Logan talks about his studies at CMU as an Advanced Musical Studies Certificate student. He explains how creating this conc...

Confluence Ballet is presenting a brand new ballet, created by a Pittsburgh based composer! Composer Joshua Malave, and Co-Artistic Director of the Ballet Adrian Green, talk about the upcoming new ballet, "The Onion". They talk about the premise of the show, based on a Russian parable from Fyodor Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov". A wicked woman dies, and is cast into hell. Her guardian angel,...

Tuesday Musical Club's String Ensemble will be in concert next Tuesday! Director of the ensemble, Jennifer Cowles McGinley, talks with Anna Singer live about the upcoming concert. Jennifer talks about the concert's program, which includes Bach's Art of the Fugue, a Schubert Trio, movements from Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 7, and much more. She also reflects on her third year conducting the ensemble...

There is a new glass art exhibition coming to the Pittsburgh Glass Center. "To Hold..." by Lauren Kalman, explores the negative space in glass left by an imprint of a body. Visual artist Lauren Kalman, and Marketing Director of the Pittsburgh Glass Center Paige Ilkhanipour, talk about the upcoming exhibit. Lauren talks about how her idea for this exhibit first started in 2019 with clay. Paige talk...

Celebrated opera singer and long-time vocal instructor at Duquesne University, Claudia Pinza, first began teaching in 1974. This Saturday, they will honor her with performances and a plaque dedication. Her son, Samuel Bozzola, talks with Anna Singer live about his mother's unexpected transition to opera teacher. He talks about her running a summer program in Italy for young singers, supported by m...

Pittsburgh Opera concludes its 2024-2025 Season with a world premiere - "Woman with Eyes Closed" - April 26th through May 4th at the Bitz Opera Factory. The role of Mona was written for Meredith Arwady. She talks about being a contralto; knowing the composer Jennifer Higdon; and finally seeing the opera come to the stage after 6 years in development. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Art...

Pittsburgh Opera concludes its 2024-2025 Season with a world premiere - "Woman with Eyes Closed" - April 26th through May 4th at the Bitz Opera Factory. Stage Director Kristine McIntyre talks about staging this world premiere, along with how to stage an opera with three different endings! Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our regi...

Pittsburgh Opera concludes its 2024-2025 Season with a world premiere - "Woman with Eyes Closed" - April 26th through May 4th at the Bitz Opera Factory. Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn talks about how the opera came to be; the excitement of ending the season with a world premiere; and working with the composer, Jennifer Higdon. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, P...

Pittsburgh Opera concludes its 2024-2025 Season with a world premiere - "Woman with Eyes Closed" - April 26th through May 4th at the Bitz Opera Factory. Audrey Welsh sings the role of the Curator. She talks about her role, the difficult music, and the excitement of being in a world premiere. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our r...

Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin has recorded over 25 albums, including Beethoven Concertos with Osmo Vanska and the Minnesota Orchestra. He's recorded beloved masterpieces from Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff and lesser known gems by Nikolai Medtner. Yevgeny discusses with Jim Cunningham about his newest CD releasing on May 9th. "Scriabin: Vers La Flamme" features work by Alexander Scriabin. Yevgeny describes...

Prime Stage Theatre is closing one season, and already thinking about the next! Producing Artistic Director Wayne Brinda, and PR Director Lawrence McCullough, talk about the end of their 2024-2025 season. The season closes with a production of Twelve Angry Men, directed by Shane Valencia, who is a practicing attorney in Pittsburgh. This 90-minute performance is in real time, as a group of twelve j...

Film Pittsburgh is presenting their Jewish Film Festival (JFilm), the one that started it all! Director of Programming, Paul Sloop, talks about this year's lineup of films during the festival. Opening night features "Midas Man" a biopic about Brian Epstein, the so-called 'Fifth Beatle' who managed the Beatles into stardom. Paul highlights the film, and talks about the 60s themed cocktails and cook...

Have you ever stayed up all night? Probably in college, but have you ever done it to experience art? Well there is an event in Pittsburgh for just that! Originally started in 1998 in Lawrenceville, Art All Night Pittsburgh is hosting its 28th season this month! Poohbah Lisa Fucciarelli, volunteer team lead Liz Janco, and newest member of the planning committee Marisa Golden, talk about the upcomin...

City Theatre ends its 2024-2025 season with a buddy comedy about two friends during the rise of LeBron James's career in Cleveland. Director of the show and out going Co-Artistic Director at City Theatre, Monteze Freeland, talks about the production. Two strangers meet and bond over their love for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the course of 12 years. In the backdrop, LeBron James's start in Cleve...

It's an adaptation combining three Sherlock Holmes short stories and perfect for an evening of fun! Saltworks Theatre presents Sherlock Holmes and the Mysterious Case of the Blue Carbuncle. Actors, producers, and playwrights, Trevor Buda, Lauren Scheller-Wolf, and Lexie Hellinger, talk about the upcoming production. Comedic, engaging, and geared towards younger audiences, this adaptation of The Ma...

This Friday (Good Friday), on Performance in Pittsburgh, WQED-FM will air Richard Danielpour's "The Passion of Yeshua." Jim Cunningham spoke with Sister Margaret Carney, formerly the President of St. Bonaventure University and who know Richard Danielpour. Sister Margaret explains the importance of this piece, particularly this year when Holy Week and Passover are at the same time; how the piece is...

This episode is all about a baroque instrument, the Viola d'amore! Music theory professor and director of The Duke's Music ensemble at Duquesne University, Dr. Paul Miller, and Duquesne violist graduate student, Michelle Kenyon, talk about the instrument. Paul talks about his interests in early music and contemporary music. He also talks about the rare instrument that has sympathetic, or resonatin...

The last show of New Hazlett Theater's CSA season is launching at the end of April! CSA Lead Artist Joanna Abel, dancer Christine Andrews, and musician Aidana Yntykbayeva, talk about their production of "Dragonfly Dawn". This show features belly dancing, aerial arts, puppetry, and live music in a story about good vs evil. A swan is lured to a mystical forest lake where they dance with dragonfly fr...

WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Dr. Susan Rice, director of the Heinz Chapel Choir at the end of their 2025 Spring Concert at Heinz Chapel on Sunday April 13, 2025. Dr. Rice reflected on the theme of the program; the importance of including some 'classic' along with newer composers and their upcoming tour of Philadelphia and Washington, DC in May. Anna also spoke with Seniors Kelsey Aronhalt and...

Longtime Professor of Organ Studies at Duquesne University, Ann Labounsky, will be receiving a prestigious award from the American Guild of Organists (AGO) this month. As part of the award ceremony, she will perform a recital. She talks about the program for that recital, which includes works by Sainte-Clotilde, Tournemire, and her mentor Jean Langlais. Ann talks with Jim Cunningham about her 56-y...

The Dover Quartet having been named one of the best quartets of the past 100 years by BBC Music Magazine. They have also won top prizes from the Fischoff Competition, Banff, Avery Fisher, Lincoln Center and Cleveland prizes. Via Zoom, Cellist Camden Shaw and composer Jerod Impichchaachaahaaha Tate, talk about the program. It is an American theme featuring Dvorak's American Quartet along with Jessi...

Brew House Arts is showing an exhibition for the culmination of their 2024-2025 Distillery Artists Residency Program! Program and Marketing Coordinator Brent Nakamoto and artist Alli Lemon talk about the exhibition, titled On the Edge Of... and how each artist has approached creativity via their personal stories, vulnerabilities, and anxieties. There’s an opening reception on April 17th from 6 to...

Pitt Men's Glee Club is Singing' and Swingin' into Spring! Director Richard Teaster, student President CJ Wrightson, and Secretary Xavier Ramirez, talk with Jim Cunningham live about their upcoming concert this weekend. This concert is a sneak peak of their program for their upcoming European tour. They talk about the program, which includes American music. Folk songs, barbershop, doo wop and many...