Voice of the Arts

Included on this year's PSO Holiday Pops program is an arrangement of I Saw Three Ships by West Virginia-based composer and radio host Matthew Jackfert. Matt joined Jim Cunningham live on the QED Morning Show to chat. Matt talks about his arrangement, teaching composition at Marshall University, and writing music for Sesame Street. His arrangement of I Saw Three Ships draws inspiration from other...

Sewickley Methodist Church hosts the Fifth Benefit Concert for Ukraine on Wednesday, December 17th at 6:30pm. QED's Emily Brunner spoke with organizer Cheryl Redmond. Cheryl talks about this concert's partner, Doctors United for Ukraine, a non-profit organization comprising Yale faculty, staff, and students who specialize in delivering humanitarian aid to foster the health and wellbeing of Ukraini...

Celebrate the holiday season with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Mendelssohn Choir, and guest vocalist Blaine Alden Krauss in this annual offering of music for the season! Conductor Daniel joined Jim Cunningham live on the QED Morning Show to talk about Holiday Pops. Daniel details all of the special performances in the program, including appearances from The Tamburitzans and Pittsburgh Ballet Theat...

Ponchielli’s four-act masterwork makes its Pittsburgh concert opera debut in the highlight of Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s season! Artistic director and mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti, soprano Csilla Boross, and mezzo-soprano Alice Chung joined Anna Singer live to talk about the show. Marianne spoke about bringing La Gioconda to Pittsburgh, and their spectacular cast and chorus. Csilla, who plays...

Calvary United Methodist Church presents their annual Messiah sing-along concert! Music Director Brian Burns joined Anna Singer live to talk about the performance. Calvary is celebrating their 13th year with the Messiah, and this year they've invited members of the community, regardless of singing experience, to join the choir. The congregation will be joined by singers Kara Cornell, Kirk Doughert...

Rick Sebak has a new show! Don't miss Lucky to Live in Pittsburgh's fourth episode, subtitled Luscious Local Chocolate Shops. Rick joined Jim Cunningham live on the QED Morning Show to talk about the show. The show will feature Pink House Chocolates in Finleyville, Clark Candies in Tarentum, Dorothy's Candies in White Oak, Anderson's Candies in Baden. Rick also includes previous stories on Betsy A...

East Liberty Presbyterian Church hosts a holiday favorite, Christmas in East Liberty, on Friday, December 12th at 7:30pm! Director of Music and Arts Dr. Edward Alan Moore and percussionist Abby Langhorst joined Jim Cunningham live on the QED Morning Show to chat about the concert. This annual East Liberty tradition will feature holiday favorites, along with performances by The Brass Roots with con...

The Pittsburgh Symphony made a triumphant return to Carnegie Hall in New York City with Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5! Classical QED's Jim Cunningham was in attendance and captured reactions from the audience after the concert. Hear thoughts from WQXR's Jeff Spurgeon, who broadcast the concert live, PSO President and CEO Melia Tourangeau, maestro Manfred Honeck, composer Lera Auerbach, and more. P...

The River City Brass presented their 2025 Christmas Brasstacular concert at Bethel Park High School on Tuesday December 9, 2025. WQED-FM broadcast the concert live! During intermission, WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham spoke with two new members of the band. First, he interviewed Brooke Boehmer (horn), who spoke about her work around town, attending the New England Conservatory of Music, and how she enjoy...

Pittsburgh Opera's Director of Education Marilyn Egan and Education Committee Chair Dr. Eugene Myers took QED's Jim Cunningham on a tour of their building back in October. Marilyn spoke about their education program, Opera Trunks, which are teaching residencies sent out to educators to introduce their students to opera. They are colorful steamer trunks on wheels filled with books, costumes, music,...

On Friday December 5, 2025, WQED-FM broadcast the 2025 Heinz Chapel Choir Holiday concert live from Heinz Chapel. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with organist J.R. Daniels about the music he was playing on the concert. At the end of the concert, Anna spoke with the Choir's Director Dr. Susan Rice about how she put this year's program together, going on tour this Spring and enjoying finding new, young...

Slippery Rock University's Pop Music Ensembles are hosting an end-of-semester concert! SRU Professor Dr. Cassandra Eisenreich, and student members Ethan Aeschbacher and Chrystal Sircely met with Emily Brunner on Zoom to talk about the concert. Cassandra explains what sets SRU's pop ensembles apart and the importance of academic diversity in music education. Chrystal and Ethan talk about their role...

Tuesday Musical Club's String Ensemble invite you to their concert on Tuesday, December 9th! Conductor Edward Leonard joined Melissa Black to talk about the program, which features spectacular pieces by Elgar, Gershwin, Bartok, and more. Eddie also spoke about the ensemble's rehearsal schedule and flexible nature. The concert will be held at Rodef Shalom's Levy Hall on Tuesday, December 9th at 1:0...

The New Hazlett Theater presents Sounds of the Season on Saturday, December 13th at 7:30pm! Featured artist, Dr. Zuly Inirio, spoke with Emily Brunner about the evening. The concert will feature a variety of holiday tunes that blend jazz, soul, and global rhythms. Zuly mentions her performances, including Baby Please Come Home, Ave Maria, and collaborating with fellow artists for songs like O Holy...

Chatham Baroque are preparing for their holiday concert on December 21st at Carnegie Music Hall! The program features Corelli’s shimmering Christmas Concerto, concerti grossi by Vivaldi, Handel, and Torelli, and a delightful set of French Noëls for strings by Charpentier. Co-Artistic Director and violinist Andrew Fouts spoke with Anna Singer about it. Andrew talks about the program, which evokes p...

The Pittsburgh Girls Choir is celebrating the holidays this year with their December 13th concert, A Jane Austen Christmas, in honor of the author's 250th birthday. Artistic Director Kathryn Copeland Donaldson and member of the choir Riley Marsisin joined Anna Singer live for a chat. Kathryn talks about getting her start with the choir this year, their summer tour, and some of the music on their h...

Little Lake Theatre will wrap up their 2025 season with Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge! Artistic Director Patrick Cannon and Director Nathan Walter joined Emily Brunner to talk about the show. Nathan discusses directing and his first season at Little Lake, and the wild adventure that has been their Christmas show. Patrick introduces Little Lake’s 2026, Home Is Where The Heart Is , which...

The Pittsburgh Savoyards are presenting the holiday classic, It’s A Wonderful Life! Director Barbara Burgess-LeFevbre and Production Manager Lynette Garlan spoke with Melissa Black about the show. Barbara talks about the play’s message and working with two separate casts. She encourages fans of the film to see the play, and says it's the perfect show to introduce young audiences to live theater. L...

The Cranberry Men’s Chorus is happy to present their Christmas Concert series for 2025, Christmas Memories! Vice President Kenneday spoke with Emily Brunner about the festivities. CMC's repertoire includes some classic Christmas favorites like "Winter Wonderland" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," and new arrangements of less well-known tunes. Emily and Pete also teased "We Need a Little Christm...

No Beethoven and Brahms with these three B's! It's Bach, Barber, and Britten featured in the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh's concert at Rodef Shalom Temple on Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30pm. Artistic Director Edward Leonard and featured soloist Amaury Morales joined Jim Cunningham live on the QED Morning to talk about it. They explained the special features of the program and the delights of...

Artistic Director Kym Scott talks about Pittsburgh Pride Choir’s upcoming holiday concert, A Not So Silent Night. PPC is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and this will be their first major concert since changing their name from Renaissance City Choir earlier this year. Kym discusses the name change, the choir’s work with Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA+ community, and fostering a community through music. Th...

Pianist, composer, and arranger Tom Roberts talks about his original score for the silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror , written in 2022 for the Pittsburgh Silent Film Society's celebration of the film's 100th anniversary. He provided a backdrop to his eclectic career, telling stories about touring with Leon Redbone, playing in jazz clubs while living in New Orleans, and transcribing music...

Chamber Music Pittsburgh presents a rare opportunity to hear all six Bach Brandenburg Concertos in one evening!   Student's, violist Kai Su and violinist Andrew Gray, visited the WQED-FM studio to play Bach and talk about the event with Jim Cunningham. Kai Su plays the Allemande from the Cello Suite No 1 BWV 1007. Andrew Gray plays the Sonata in C Adagio BWV 1005. Andrew was a winner of the Carneg...

Resonance Works Artistic Director Maria Sensi Sellner and bass Sergio Martinez joined Anna Singer live in the studio to talk about Resonance Works' upcoming regional premier of Kamala Sankaram and Kelley Rourke's The Jungle Book , based on the classic Rudyard Kipling story. Sergio, who plays Baloo, sings a sneak peek of the opera. Sergio also tells his opera story, performing this opera in Washing...

The first show in New Hazlett Theater's Community Supported Artist series is Christine CMC Bethea's Birthday at Tiffany's ! Set in 1980s Homewood, the play follows a middle-class couple who will do anything to keep their 7-year-old’s birthday on track—even if it means playing nice with the impossible. QED's Emily Brunner spoke with Christine CMC Bethea, Mils James, and Tanika Harris about the play...