Voice of the Arts

Chair of Violins of Hope Pittsburgh, Sandy Rosen, discusses in depth the next month of programming in the Greater Pittsburgh community. Sandy highlights the November 8th event, Resonance of Hope: Building Bridges Through Music at the university of Pittsburgh Alumni Hall, which features a premier new work with the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. Tickets are also still available for the exhibit of 21 violins at Carnegie Mellon’s Posner Hall. Sandy also discusses the impact of these programs in schools, in our community, and in our lives. Visit https://violinsofhopepittsburgh.com to learn more about the upcoming events that run through November 25th.

Organist Titulaire of the grand organ at St. Eustache Church in Paris, Thomas Ospital is a young artist who has quickly earned a place amongst the world’s finest concert organists. He has won prizes at several international competitions including the Chartres Competition, the Xavier Darasse Competition, and the Saragossa and Angers competitions. He spoke with Jim Cunningham about his recital in Pittsburgh.  Dedicated to the art of improvisation in all of its forms, he typically includes improvisations in his concerts and frequently accompanies silent films as well. Topics included his church with the largest instrument in Paris St Eustache, where to get a good baguette in Paris, his work with composer Thierry Escaich, Ravel’s time in Bayonne and the new organ at the Maison de la Radio where he is artist in residence.  Mr. Ospital will showcase his amazing talent on the four-manual 120-rank Goulding & Wood organ at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. 7:30 Friday October 27th.

Artistic Director of Resonance Works, Maria Sensi Sellner and the cast of Cinderella discuss with Anna Singer their upcoming performance of Pauline Viardot’s Cinderella, this Friday October 27th to Sunday at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library Studio Space. Maria talks about Pauline’s connection to the opera world, and the intimacy of their performance. Visit https://www.resonanceworks.org to learn more!

Artistic Director of Prime Stage Theatre, Wayne Brinda, discusses with QED about Prime Stage’s upcoming performance of “The Miracle Worker,” written by William Gibson from November 3rd to 12th. Wayne discusses the challenges Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan faced as they tried to communicate with each other when Helen was a child, and the lasting impact their friendship had on their lives. There will also be a post show discussion with Gary Rogers from the Oakmont Historical Society about the Pittsburgh connection to Helen Kellers story. Audio description, ASL interpretation, live captioning, and sensory performances are available for select performances. Visit primestage.com to learn more.

Little Lake Theatre is celebrating it’s 75th anniversary this year with its ongoing season. Artistic Director, Patrick Cannon, discusses their last two upcoming plays, Mr. Burns A Post Electric Play and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Patrick also discusses the robust community in Canonsburg that continues to support Little Lake into its 76th season and beyond. Visit https://www.littlelake.org/ to learn more and find dates and tickets!

Director of Music and Organist at Holy Name Cathedral Chicago , David Jonies visits St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland to play Bach, Widor, Cabanilles, Artur Piechler, Hindemith and more in a 7:30pm free concert. Jim Cunningham joined St Paul Director of Music Brian Gurley and David to discuss the music scene in Chicago, the Bavarian mood in Wuerzburg,  David’s birthplace, the pride of South Germans as described in Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain to mention only a few topics.

You know him as the Host of “From the Top” Saturday mornings at 9 on WQED-FM.  But he’s also a talented pianist.  You can see him perform with the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra this Saturday night, 7:30, at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center in Johnstown. He’ll play the Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue.   He spoke to Jim Cunningham about the upcoming concert, the latest on From the Top and more.

Wheeling Symphony’s Executive Director, Sonja Thoms and Music Director John Devlin, discusses with Anna Singer about their upcoming concert on Thursday, October 19th at 7:30pm, featuring the Violins of Hope Pittsburgh and a world premiere of Walter Bricht’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Minor. Visit https://wheelingsymphony.com to learn more.

WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham was joined by David Allen Wehr, Dean of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University, and Mary Ellena, head of the Kosciuszko Foundation Pittsburgh Chapter, to discuss “An Afternoon with Chopin” – a concert at the PNC Recital Hall on Sunday October 22nd at 3pm.

Lenny Young is the Director of Music at Third Presbyterian Church.  He stopped by the QED Morning Show with soprano Lara Lynn McGill, who will be singing a program titled “Bach to Broadway” at the church on Friday October 20th, 7:30pm.

New York Times Bestselling author and PBS regular Brad Meltzer talks with Jim Cunningham about his new book “I Am Mister Rogers” with illustrations by Christopher Eliopoulos.  His series “Ordinary People Change the World” has profiled 31  amazing figures including Frida Kahlo and Walt Disney having started with Amelia Earhart. Brad talks about Fred Rogers and his start in Latrobe, his interest in music, the Mister Rogers neighborhood programs produced for PBS at WQED and his message that we should slow down, be kind, be a good neighbor and look for the helpers when times get tough. Brad explains how he has had a huge career with writing thrillers and a non fiction book, “The Nazi Conspiracy,” looking into the plot to do in Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt at once which was recently covered on CBS Sunday Morning. Brad says that he is proud to have family in Western PA and looks forward to visiting the Riverstone Books store in McCandless Crossing on October 26th at 7pm for a book signing and meet the author event.

Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn joined Jim Cunningham on the QED Morning Show to talk about Pittsburgh Opera’s Season Opening production of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.”   Plus, they talk about the opera “Bon Appetite” featuring WQED-FM’s Anna Singer, taking place Friday October 27th at the Hyeholde Restaurant.