It’s an all-American concert from Pittsburgh Symphony Radio.  Michael Stern conducts “The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Kahn” by Griffes, Leonard Bernstein’s “Fancy Free” Ballet, Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”  

It’s an all-American concert from Pittsburgh Symphony Radio.  Michael Stern conducts “The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Kahn” by Griffes, Leonard Bernstein’s “Fancy Free” Ballet, Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”  

Meg Cheever, Senior Executive Advisor to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy after having served as CEO for many years, is joining the celebration of 25 years for the organization and the creation of a new podcast. Meg discusses a few of the 22 projects in the works and remembers some great successes under her watch including the Gatehouse at Frick Park, the redo of Mellon Square downtown,the Frick Environmental Center, Schenley Park and Plaza, the Westinghouse Park, the creation of a cd with WQED-FM and the Dear Friends Strolling Through the Park, plus the challenge of finding grants, Rad funds, donors, a dedicated tax, and contemplating the need for $400 million  to do what needs to be done. Meg Cheever served as Publisher for Pittsburgh Magazine in the WQED family before joining the Conservancy, she has worked on numerous Pittsburgh volunteer boards and played the viola under the baton of the Boston Pops Harry Ellis Dickson.

Chatham Baroque members Patricia Halverson and Scott Pauley stopped by to chat with WQED-FM's Anna Singer about their upcoming season, which will include live audiences for the first time in a year and a half. 

Pittsburgh Symphony Music Director Manfred Honeck returned this week for the first full Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concerts in 18 months to open the Heinz Hall 50th anniversary season with Anne-Sophie Mutter at the Gala on September 16th.  Ms. Mutter will be playing a concerto by the Chevalier de Saint George and music by John Williams. She discusses her solo spots and the incredible success of her live Vienna Philharmonic cds with John Williams conducting. She works with John Williams a few days after Pittsburgh in Los Angles at a concert which will play tribute to cellist Lynn Harrell. She remembers her colleague along with Maestro Honeck’s thoughts. Other topics include pandemic reflections; the Mutter Virtuosi with which she will go on tour; upcoming recording plans which include a disc with Manfred Honeck conducting in Prague; why now is the time to belatedly look into African-American composers and other composers who have been long out of the spotlight; the importance of radio to classical music; and much more in this half hour with Jim Cunningham.  Recorded at the Fairmont Hotel in the floor 2 restaurant. 

Carnegie Mellon University's baroque flutist who also teaches one of CMU's most popular courses on the Beatles, Stephen Schultz has a new cd out with an hour of the Francois Couperin Royal Concerts or Concerts Royaux recorded at the George Lucas Skywalker studios in Marin County, California. Stephen walks us through the four suites of dance music once danced by Louis XIV explaining the special features, the cover art which consists of a lively representation of Marie Antoinette eating a meringue confection. Stephen loves all the dances but especially the musette and notes that Apple music found a hit with the menuet. Flute talk is included with the details of the "wooden sticks" making exqusite sounds and the harpsichord played by Jory Vinokour joined by Alexa Haynes-Pilon and second baroque flute Mindy Rosenfeld.