Voice of the Arts

Pittsburgh house painters and musicians, Ricky Granati and his son Jules Granati, spoke about The Merrick Art Gallery's upcoming event, Toast, on May 25th at 5 pm which features WQED-FM's own Anna Singer performing with a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra String Quartet. It will be a fun affair with food, wine, and great music! Ricky discusses how he first discovered the Art Gallery, and Jules highlig...

Executive Director of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures, Sony Ton-Aime, dives deep the Ten Evenings 2024-2025 season. Starting with Colm Toibin on September 16th with his newest book, Long Island, this years authors are exciting as ever! Sony highlights the diverse group that includes History professor and author of Democracy Awakening, Heather Cox Richardson, as well as newer names such as Pico Iyer a...

Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Nicholas Dragga, spoke about the last performance of the season, Cinderella, premiering May 17th to the 19th at the Benedum Center. This U.S premiere of this production with music by Prokofiev and choreography by Jaune Smeulders features the PBT Orchestra in the finale of the season. Nick also highlights next years 55th Emerald season with high...

Founder of CutTime Productions, Mr. CutTime AKA Rick Robinson, member of the Beo String Quartet, Andrew "Gio" Giordano, and composer, Jordan Speranzo, spoke about their collaboration in the Millvale Music Festival this Friday and Saturday, May 17th and 18th. For the first time ever, there will be classical music on the Millvale Music Festival stage! Jordan talks about conducting The Millvale Festi...

Oboist Lenny Young and Mezzo-Soprano Raquel Winnica Young, spoke with WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham live on the morning show to highlight their upcoming concert with Chamber Music Pittsburgh, The Voice of Poulenc, this Thursday, May 16th, and Saturday, May 18th, at the Third Presbyterian Church. It is an evening of music, talk, dance, and culture, dedicated to the composer, Francis Poulenc. Lenny and R...

Dr. Reverend Herbert V.R.P. Jones spoke with Jim Cunningham about The Heritage Gospel Chorale’s upcoming free spring concert on May 18th at 3 pm at the Pentecostal Temple Church in East Liberty. Soloists will include Anqwenique Kensil, Dr. Carnet Mowatt from Maryland, and Dr. B. De Neice Welch. Dr. Jones and Jim highlight the concert’s program, that includes spirituals, a tribute to the military,...

Pittsburgh musician and painter, Ricky Granati, highlights The Merrick Art Gallery's upcoming event, Toast, on May 25th at 5 pm which features WQED-FM's own Anna Singer performing with a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra String Quartet. Ricky discusses how he first discovered the Art Gallery when one of the owners contracted him to repaint the old train station, and how his meeting with Anna shaped th...

Executive Director of Brew House Arts, Natalie Sweet, and 2023-2024 Distillery Emerging Artists in Residence, Imani Batts and Armanis Fuentes, spoke with WQED-FM about their upcoming free exhibition, Getting the Spirit Out, at Brew House Arts in the South Side, opening Thursday, May 9th at 6 pm, and running until June 22nd. Imani talks about her Get Ready With Me fashion collective that celebrates...

Director Nancy McNulty McGeever, Music Director, Deana Muro, and Producer Nancy Zionts, spoke with WQED-FM about Front Porch Theatrical's upcoming summer shows. "A...My Name is Still Alice" will run at the New Hazlett Theater from May 17th to 26th, and "Bandstand" will run August 16th to the 25th. Nancy McNulty highlights her role as the Director of "A...My Name is Still Alice" that is a 90's musi...

Dr. Rachel Berger sat down with WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham live to talk about her wind quintet, Desperate Measures, performing in Tuesday Musical Club's free Wind Power concert at Rodef Shalom's Levy Hall on Tuesday, May 14th at 1pm. Rachel talks about the program that includes Gershwin, Kaspar Kummer, and new works by Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda and Peter Schickele. Rachel also highlights her 15 years...

Opera superstar Renee Fleming will be on the air for the Saturday Metropolitan Opera broadcasts with the Hours by Kevin Puts on May 18 at 1pm but less two days before her return in the role at the Met, she spoke with Jim Cunningham about her new book "Music and Mind" published by Viking on April 9th, 2024. She has donated a copy of the book with a cd of the Hours and tickets to The Hours at the Me...

Pianist and musicologist Robert Levin with the Academy of Ancient Music discusses with Jim Cunningham the 30 year project to record the complete Mozart Piano Concertos with original instruments and multiple pianos. Robert Levin explains which new additions to the set involved his research and completions. Robert explains how improvisations were added that resemble the technique of jazz players lik...

Reverend Dr. Shelia Johnson-Hunt sat down with WQED-FM's Anna Singer to talk about the City Wide Revival on May 7th and 8th at Petra International Ministries. This event includes multiple styles of African American music, dance, preaching, and much more. This free event will also feature Bishop Lisa Weah and Elder Justin Hunt from Baltimore, MD. Dr. Hunt talked about her three compositions that wi...

Jim Cunningham spoke with broadcasting legend Susie Barbour about the National Museum of Broadcasting event on Saturday May 4th from 1-4pm at the Wilkinsburg Train Station celebrating the 150th birthday of Frank Conrad. The event includes birthday festivities, music by DJ Sims, a silent auction, historical displays, broadcast personalities, the beautifully restored train station and more! The key...

DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker!  Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re...

Educatory and storyteller, Mike Perry, spoke with WQED-FM about his upcoming show at New Hazlett Theater on Monday, May 6th at 7pm, Saving Face: Memoir of a Circus Clown. This one man show features Mike Perry using the art of storytelling to explore tales of circus clowns drawn from his own experience as a clown for Ringling Brothers Circus and why today’s stigma around them is so scary. Mike also...

World renowned pianist, composer, and recording artist, John Bayless, and award-winning director, Stewart M. Schulman, spoke live with Anna Singer about their new documentary, Left Alone Rhapsody, that will have its Pittsburgh premiere as a part of the Jewish Film Festival's opening night on Thursday May 2nd at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Left Alone Rhapsody chronicles John Bayless's rise...

Director Andy Hickly and Board Treasurer and Production Manager, Lynette Garlan, from the Pittsburgh Savoyards discuss their upcoming production of Sleeping Beauty at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center May 3rd to 11th. Andy talks about his adaptation of the well-known fairytale, and how he decided to focus on the love story between Rose and her Princeling. Lynette also highlights an art re...

Artistic Director and Founder of Resonance Works, Maria Sensi Sellner, and soprano Zuly Inirio, discuss with Anna Singer live about their upcoming program, Tumbao! A Celebration of Afro-Latin Music, this Sunday, April 28th at 3 pm at the First United Methodist Church in Bloomfield. Zuly discusses how the program originated from a recording project she did and her passion for exploring works by Afr...

Artistic Director and Conductor of Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, Thomas Douglas, spoke with WQED-FM's afternoon host, Anna Singer, about their upcoming concert, A Satire: Carmina Burana Africana, on Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th at the Campbell Memorial Chapel at Chatham University. Thomas discusses how this version of Carmina Burana differs slightly with the inclusion of an African drum...

Music Director and Conductor of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras (TRYPO), Brian Worsdale, spoke with Anna Singer and Jim Cunningham about their upcoming concert, Cheers to 50 Years! on May 5th at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Brian highlights the two concerts on the 5th, one at 1:15 pm that showcases all four symphonic groups and the other at 6 pm that features the Young Peoples Orchest...

Producing Artistic Director of Prime Stage Theatre, Wayne Brinda, spoke with WQED-FM about Prime Stage's upcoming production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution running from May 3rd to May 12th at the New Hazlett Theater. Wayne talks about the shows intrigue and drama, as a man is put on trial for murder with his wife being a witness for the prosecution! Wayne also highlights their sp...

Founder of Aria412 Desiree Soteres and Board Chair, Dr. Mildred Myers, spoke with Jim Cunningham about several upcoming events for the group. The first event features a program entitled Bad Company, on May 7th at 7 pm at Hop Farm Brewing Company. Following that event, Aria412 will present I Hear America Singing, May 9th to the 11th at the Rauh Studio Theatre on University of Pittsburgh's campus. D...

Pittsburgh Opera presents "The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson" at the Byham Theater from April 27th through May 5th. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Meroe Khalia Adeeb, who sings the role of Isabelle. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local mus...

Pittsburgh Opera presents "The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson" at the Byham Theater from April 27th through May 5th. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with stage director Kimille Howard. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bri...