Trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer and singer Hugh Masekela popularized music from his native South Africa in the 1968 hit "Grazing in the Grass" and later on Paul Simon's Graceland tour, which helped to focus attention on apartheid. Masekela has shared the stage with icons of pop and jazz, and studied classical trumpet in the US. He spoke with QED's Jim Cunningham just before a March 30 Pittsburgh concert in the week of his 75th birthday.

Composer and drummer Sean Neukom is a co-founder of Symbiotic Collusion, a contemporary music "brand" best known for its Freya String Quartet, which performs in the world premiere of Neukom's chamber-rock song cycle "The Ghost & Mister Able." Neukom talks about his latest work and the concepts behind Symbiotic Collusion.

Winifred Horan, violinist of the Irish-American folk group Solas, talks with WQED donor Jim Shock. The New York-born Ms. Horan talks about the latest album from Solas, titled "Shamrock City," and about her start in traditional Irish music and later classical training.

Guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter Kerry Livgren of the American progressive rock band Kansas wrote their two biggest hits, "Carry On My Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind." WQED listener and donor Jim Shock asks Livgren about his musical influences and about Kansas' planned reunion at a "40th Anniversary Fan Appreciation Concert" in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh's touring cello-rock group Cello Fury has performed at SXSW, won several Battle of the Bands events, and has had works written for them by classical composers. Cello Fury members talk about music education, and their new CD titled "Symphony of Shadows."

Since studying with rock guitar legend Robert Fripp, the California Guitar Trio has maintained a diverse repertoire and a devotion the New Standard Tuning. They perform and record a mix of original compositions, surf covers, and classical re-workings of classical music. Before an appearance in Pittsburgh, they talked with WQED's Jim Cunningham and played two Bach classics plus some acoustic surf guitar.

Barry Manilow talks with WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham in April, 2013.

Carl Palmer, drummer of the '70s progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer talks about the band, which turned Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and other classical masterpieces by Copland, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky into favorites with rock fans. Palmer tells QED's Jim Cunningham about the drummers that influenced him and about his recent work and touring.

Sandra Feketija, alto, soloist, and assistant music director of Perpetuum Jazzile, the pop-oriented Slovenian choir, talks with WQED-FM listener/member Jim Shock.

QED donor Jim Shock interviews Mexican-American singer-songwriter and fiddle player Carrie Rodriguez.