The Three Rivers Yong People’s Orchestra is on tour in Europe—their first European Tour in the orchestra’s 44 year history. It will be the last concerts with their Music Director of the past 12 years, John Wilcox, a former member of the National Symphony in Washington DC. The Orchestra is taking Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony to Prague at the Rudolfinum, the home of the Vienna Choir Boys in Vienna, and winding up June 21 in Budapest. Executive Director Lindsey Wood Nova phoned in from the moving bus leaving the Czech Republic for Vienna with cellist Emma Chothani, percussionist Colby Hill, and tubist Bruce Deal.

Klezlectic returns to Bach, Beethoven and Brunch this Sunday morning (6/24), 10:30am at Mellon Park in Shadyside.   Janice Coppola talks about the group as well as the experience of playing at Bach, Beethoven and Brunch.

James Iman joins us to talk about his upcoming piano recital on Wednesday, June 20th at Shadyside Presbyterian Church for their summer concert series. James shares the program he put together and discusses the pieces and composers he will be performing. Furthermore, James discusses his favorite modern composers, his favorite Marvel movie, and other events this year that he will be apart of!

Ruth Montgomery, the founding Executive Director of Chamber Music Pittsburgh, died in June 2018. In this interview recorded in 2013, she remembers the early days of one of America’s best presenters of Chamber Music. Ruth was the wife of the Provost at the University of Pittsburgh Edison Montgomery. Ruth Mitchell Montgomery would have been 102 years old on July 30th, 2018. She died June 9th, 2018 while living at the Sherwood Oaks Retirement Community.

Ruth spearheaded the 1961 founding of Chamber Music Pittsburgh (formerly the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society) leading a group of Pittsburgh leaders who regretted the loss of chamber music concerts sponsored by The New Friends of Music to start anew with the assistance of a Heinz Endowment grant. Ruth served as CMP’s volunteer manager for 30 years, stepping down in 1991 when the organization’s first Executive Director was hired.

Ruth was initially exposed to live chamber music when she was working in Washington, DC, during World War II and attended the renowned Library of Congress concerts.

Pat and Michele Atkins have received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization of Fundraising Professionals in the United States. They were honored in May 2018 by Pittsburgh Opera for establishing the Audience Development Fund with a $1.2 million dollar grant. Earlier they gave a major grant to support the Pittsburgh Symphony of $1 million and a $1.5 million grant to establish the Center for Ethics at Carlow University. Pat Atkins was born in Kentucky, taught at the University of Texas at Austin before joining Alcoa in Pittsburgh as Director of Environmental Affairs. Michele is a San Franciscan who served as Director of the Make A Wish Foundation in Pittsburgh and Director at Shadylane Preschool after earning a degree at Carlow University where she served as Board Chair for several terms. She has served as a volunteer for numerous non profit boards including Bethlehem Haven, Mendelssohn Choir, the Pat McKeon Dancers, and others.  In this wide ranging conversation, they reveal their admiration for Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck and share their philanthropic philosophy.

Shadyside Brass kicks off the 2018 Bach, Beethoven and Brunch concert series this Sunday, June 17th, 10:30am at Mellon Park in Shadyside.   Two members stopped by WQED-FM to talk about their program.