@ the Symphony

Jim Cunningham sat down with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music Director Manfred Honeck to talk about this weekend’s concerts. The program includes Reena Esmail’s “REImember;” Faure’s “Cantique de Jean Racine”, arranged by Manfred Honeck; Brahms’ “Schicksalslied;” Hailstork’s “Lacrimosa” and Faure’s “Requiem.” The concert features the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and soloists Jeanine De Bique and Joshua Hopkins.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic Jeremy Reynolds stopped by the WQED-FM location after the live broadcast of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on November 15, 2024. He gave a glowing review of the orchestra, Lorna McGhee and conductor Jacob Joyce. PSO President and CEO Melia Tourangeau also stopped by to speak with Jim Cunningham about the concert; the orchestra trying to get out into more communities and upcoming concerts she’s looking forward to seeing.

During intermission of WQED-FM’s live broadcast of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Jim Cunningham spoke with the soloist in the Rautavaara Flute Concerto – PSO Principal Flute Lorna McGhee; PSO Associate Conductor Jacob Joyce, who found out he was going to be conducting the concert just a few hours before showtime; and PSO VP of Artistic Planning Mary Persin about some of the exciting concerts taking place at Heinz Hall for the holidays.

WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham spoke with WQED President and CEO Jason Jedlinski and former WQED Board Chair Dr. Millie Myers prior the November 15th, 2024 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert. They spoke about what they were looking forward to in tonight’s concert, as well as upcoming initiatives at WQED.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Association volunteers have tirelessly raised well over a million dollars to keep the music playing. The effort continues with Christmas On Broadway at the Holiday House Tour in Shadyside November 22-24 and November 29- December 1. Over thirty musicians from the area including Pittsburgh Symphony members, Mendelssohn Choir singers and many others will add to the holiday mood. There are candlelight tours available and parking can be arranged nearby. Long time volunteer and Musician Liaison Christine Thompson joined Past Symphony Association President Diane Unkovic and Jim Cunningham with details. They also discussed the Mendelssohn Choir Faure Requiem, Handel Messiah and Brahms’ Song of Destiny which will be performed in a very busy holiday season with multiple Holiday Pops programs put together with Byron Stripling conducting, playing the trumpet, and singing.

Diane Unkovic discusses her husband ‘s new book “The Fragility of China: Breaking Points of an Invincible Regime” and the Pittsburgh Symphony visits to China. Christine Thompson gave on update on her husband, E flat clarinet Thomas Thompson who retired after fifty years in the orchestra but recently had the saxophone out once more for a bit of Pictures at an Exhibition.

Questions about the Holiday House Tour can be sent to psamember@gmail.com and there is more information at the Symphony Association website. Tickets are $50 in advance and $55 at the event.

Members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra joined WQED-FM live on Public Radio Music Day (October 23, 2024), to play three pieces from Stravinsky’s Tale of the Soldier (Histoire du soldat). They played The Soldier’s March, Airs by the Stream, the Little Concert. Anna Singer talked with Douglas Rosenthal, David Sogg, and Jeremy Branson about the piece and the group.

Members of the group included: Ron Samuels, clarinet; David Sogg, bassoon; Neal Berntsen, trumpet; Douglas Rosenthal, trombone; Jeremy Branson, percussion; Dennis O’Boyle, second violin; John Moore, bass.

Pianist and Conductor Christoph Eschenbach returns to Pittsburgh after many years as Music Director of the Philadelphia, Houston and National Symphony orchestras. He talks about his program of Schumann’s Second Symphony, and the Brahms Violin Concerto with Ray Chen. He remembers his first Pittsburgh concert in 1972 with William Steinberg and hundreds of other concerts he played and conducted at Heinz Hall. He points to the recent Ukraine benefit concert he gave at Carnegie Hall in New York as a highlight added recently with Anne Sophie Mutter. Jim Cunningham also asks him about his years in Washington DC, Philadelphia and Houston and if he could share any wisdom having had such a vast range of musical experiences dating back to his extremely challenging youth during the years of WWII.

WQED-FM broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert live on Friday September 27, 2024. Jim Cunningham spoke with WQED-FM’s Anna Singer, PSO Principal Cellist Anne Martindale Williams and Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic Jeremy Reynolds after the concert.

WQED-FM broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert live on Friday September 27, 2024. Jim Cunningham spoke with PSO Music Director Manfred Honeck and guest soloist – violinist Augustin Hadelich backstage during intermission.

WQED-FM broadcast the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert live on Friday September 27, 2024. Jim Cunningham spoke with WQED President and CEO Jason Jedlinski, WQED Board Chair Emeritus Millie Myers, and PSO Contrabassoon James Rodgers backstage prior to the concert.

Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Percussionist Andrew Reamer spoke with Jim Cunningham just a few hours before the final concert of the Pittsburgh Symphony European Festival tour September 7 2024 in Vienna, Austria. He talks about the special events of the tour which began at the Salzburg Festival. It is an emotional event for Mr. Reamer because it is his last concert as he will begin his retirement after 35 years. He looks back at some of the special events that took place having been hired by Lorin Maazel in 1989 and participated in 40 tours. Andy has also been a favorite soloist in the annual Thanksgiving concert with the Feuerfest Polka, playing the anvil while wearing colorful costumes. Many of his family members are on the tour, including his wife, Ruth Ann, who also recently retired from her longtime job as a columnist in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He hopes to return as a guest from time to time and will continue his work with the Drummer’s service company, which his father founded. The Cleveland Orchestra is also on tour in Vienna using a bass drum he made as does the Pittsburgh Symphony.

The Concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony David McCarroll spoke about the two German European Tour concerts at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg Germany. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra was on its way an afternoon rehearsal with Yefim Bronfman playing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3. The program consists of John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Stravinsky’s Suite From the Firebird and Puccini’s Turandot Suite. David discusses the tour so far with Anne Sophie Mutter, who will be performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.