Voice of the Arts

The Negro Motorist Green Book exhibition at the Senator John Heinz History Center offers an immersive look at the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-century America and how the annual guide served as an indispensable resource for the nation’s rising Black middle class.  WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke to the History Center’s Director of African American Program Samuel Black about the exhibit.

This Summer, Carnegie Museum of Art is once again presenting “Inside Out” in the Sculpture Court – a free event series celebrating Pittsburgh’s rich cultural landscape with performances, workshops and gatherings, DJs, art activities, food trucks, and local drinks.  On Thursday nights from 5 to 9 p.m., a lineup of some of the city’s most dynamic DJs transforms the outdoor space into a can’t-miss happy hour destination for friends and dancing during the week. On Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m., enjoy performances from regional arts organizations and performers, soak in summer sounds from bands and DJs, grab a bite from local food trucks, and get creative with artists and art-making.

This Saturday, June 24th, the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh will be performing in the Sculpture Court.  The Orchestra’s Artistic Director Edward Leonard and Carnegie Museum of Art’s Director of Education and Public Programs Dana Bishop-Root spoke with WQED-FM’s Anna Singer about this weekend’s concert and the “Inside Out” series in general.

The League of American Orchestras is holding it’s annual conference in Pittsburgh.  The conference opened on Wednesday June 14th.  WQED-FM’s Anna Singer had a chance to talk with League of American Orchestras President and CEO Simon Woods.

The League of American Orchestras is holding it’s annual conference in Pittsburgh.  The conference opened on Wednesday June 14th with performances by the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras and a keynote by National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson.  WQED-FM’s Anna Singer had a chance to talk with Dr. Jackson.

Anna Singer spoke with composer Brian Field about his early education with music, his mentors and early compositions, and then his newest works which are Three Passions for our Tortured Planet, (all proceeds from this one go to charities to help fight against climate change) and Brian Field- Vocal Works (which features a social justice song).

Jim Cunningham sits down with Toto Fisher, founding WQED-FM supporter and recipient of the Q Award, during the WQED-FM 50th Anniversary celebration.

Pittsburgh Opera presents “We Shall Not Be Moved” with music by Daniel Bernard Roumain, or DBR.  He stopped by the QED Morning Show with Anna Singer to talk about the opera.

Lynette Garlan and Robert Hockenberry of the Pittsburgh Savoyards talk about their upcoming production of “Thespis,” which is having its Pittsburgh premiere. It runs April 28th-30th and May 5th-7th, with live stream tickets available for the 6th and 7th. They also talked about the lost music from Thespis and why scholars think Sullivan might have done it on purpose.

The Butler County Symphony Orchestra presents “The Golden Age of Hollywood” at the Butler Intermediate High School April 8th 2023 with Music Director Matthew Kraemer who has recently been named the Music Director of the Louisiana Philharmonic. The program includes scores from film classics by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Max Steiner, Franz Waxman and Miklos Rosza, plus Henry Mancini’s Moon River. Matthew Kraemer runs down the delights of the concert and fills us in on his plans for New Orleans in this conversation with Jim Cunningham.

Tim Kaiser serves as a board member for Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Museum explaining to Jim Cunningham why you should visit and talking about his Father Lloyd Kaiser who served as President and CEO of  WQED Pittsburgh from 1971 to 1993. Tim credits his Dad for helping him stay grounded in the high energy world of Hollywood and recalls his Father’s pride in building a new tower for WQED to hold the antenna for WQED-FM in 1973 after successfully winning the license for Pittsburgh against the plan to build a state wide network of noncommercial stations that would have been controlled elsewhere.  Lloyd brought his son to the studio to meet Fred Rogers who had Tim sit in the control room and peek in the camera viewfinder. After graduating from Oakmont’s Riverview High School then  Westminster College and starring on the football team  Tim went on to work for Kentucky public television and then took a chance on a new show to be created for NBC by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. Tim produced nearly 200 episodes winning two Emmys, a Golden Globe Award and a People’s Choice Award. Seinfeld joined the distinguished company of I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show for ending its run at number one in the ratings. The “show about nothing” changed everything about comedy on American television. Tim Kaiser then produced Will and Grace and 2 broke Girls winning more acclaim. Megan Mulally gave a shout out to Tim from the stage when she won her Emmy for Will and Grace. Tim remembers the “no soup for you!”  Soup Nazi and Elaine’s  dating The Maestro, the sad clown opera references in the show and many more Seinfeld details. Tim did it all while commuting from his home in Hampton for over 14 years in one of the longest commutes to work in Western Pennsylvania history. His home in LA has usually been on standby while Tim made it home for his three kids Adam, Joshua and Michael plus wife and high school sweetheart Kristin.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

The Three Rivers Community Band Festival was begun in order to highlight the community bands in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. The first festival, sponsored by the East Winds Symphonic Band, was presented on April 4, 2004 at the Upper St. Clair Theater.

This year’s festival takes place Saturday March 25th at Franklin Region High School at 2pm.  Festival Founder and Director Roger Schneider, East Winds Symphonic Band conductor Susan Sands, and Nanette Mancuso talk about this year’s festival.

Director Jolanta Lion; Executive Assistant Sowang Kundeling; Treasurer Isaac Fisher; PR Coordinator Miri Leaderman-Bray, and Programming Intern Regis Curtis talk about the CMU International Film Festival taking place March 16th – April 2nd.