The 2026 Millvale Music Festival features a classical music stage in St. Nicholas Church that is home to the century-old murals of Croatian artist Maxo Vanka.
This stage is sponsored again by CutTime Productions and Mrs. Barbara Van Dusen of Michigan to present on Day 2:

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra cellist Charlie Powers plays first 3 Bach Cello Suites 11:30a-12:15p
NAT 28 – contemporary music ensemble plays living composers 12:30p-1:15
CutTime Simfonica® – string quartet + percussion plays Bach to Tchaikovsky plus surprises 1:30p-2:30

PSO cellist Charlie Powers shares with us his personal take on the first three complete suites (18 movements), the opening notes for which were made popular a while ago in television commercials. More than signifying elegance and fancy cars, Johann Sebastian Bach spun a whole universe of expressive, instrumental overtures, dances and “blues” for lone musicians.

NAT 28 brings us this interesting program:
Yoshi Weinberg – The Difference Between
Anthony Green – On Top of a Frosted Hill
Alex Marthaler – Braided Sky
Jessie Montgomery – Peace
Roger Zahab – Lobster Waltz
And played by:
Brian Gilling and Daniel Curtis, piano
Allyson Huneycutt, clarinet
Will Teegarden, cello
Sarah Sterenka, flute

CutTime Simfonica’s program features PSO subs and traces the line of classical music development with excerpts of actual symphonies of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, into dances by Tchaikovsky, Satie and Joplin, and bookended by Mr. CutTime’s own high-energy adventures.
PROGRAM:
Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 3 Gavottes I II
Bach – Orchestral Suite No. 3 Air
Mozart – Symphony #25 opening
Mozart – Ave Verum Corpus
Beethoven – Symphony No. 5 opening
Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 opening
Mozart – Symphony #40 alla samba
Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag
Satie – Gymnopedie No. 1
Tchaikovsky – Waltz from Serenade for Strings
Robinson – Pork ‘n Beans
And played by:
Shannon Fitzhenry, violin I
Shannon, Lock, violin II
Rimbo Wong, viola
Rick Robinson, double bass
Bert Lerini, percussion

CutTime Productions is the artistic enterprise and mission of former Detroit Symphony double bassist-composer Rick Robinson (aka Mr. CutTime) intent on sharing classical and especially symphonic music in places and in ways orchestras cannot. This effort moved to Pittsburgh with him in 2022. Whether in a school, a house of worship, on festival stages, in a bar or club, a living room or a backyard, CutTime® creates shortcuts into classical, sometimes with a drummer.

Be sure to also catch DAY 1 of the CutTime Classical Stage 2026! These slots are early to facilitate easier parking.
Doors open at 11:05a. Seating is open and limited.
ACCESS: there is wheel-chair access to the sanctuary on the south side, yet NO access to the only bathrooms located in the basement.
DROP-OFF and PICK-UP at the St. Nicholas main door is fine.
PARKING: Front parking is for musicians only. The very limited church parking in back fills up fast. So park on the street, around the next two right-turns is an open lot available, or the Riverview lot where comes the festival shuttle buses looping around the village. It also comes up the hill to the church.