Voice of the Arts

Susan Medley, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale, has been rehearsing online since mid-September, so they can present a Virtual “Sounds of the Season” Concert online on Friday, December 11 at 8:00 pm. (It’s free.) The singers have recorded themselves and compiled their videos into a virtual choir. Susan says ” It’s pretty amazing how well it is coming together, particularly since they weren’t hearing each other as they were singing. I am assembling the audio part of it and Janine Michael, the sister of two of the PCC singers, is putting the “Brady Bunch faces” on the screen and adding some other video as well. It’s incredibly labor-intensive putting the final product together, but it’s keeping the choir singing in some way and the singers have really enjoyed making music and seeing each other on screen every week.”

Chris Rawson – Post Gazette theater critic and long time contributor to the WQED-FM Arts Magazine – fills us in on “Off The Record 19 2.0 Pandemic Edition.” The event takes place in the virtual world October 8th with Ken Rice host and features great moments from the first two decades taking a light hearted satirical look at the local scene with the Mayor, WQED pledge efforts, Sophie Masloff, and other notables making cameo appearances all to raise funds for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Foodbank. Chris begins with a rundown of his efforts on behalf of the August Wilson House. Details on “Off the Record” can be found on the event Facebook page.

Yang Jin is a pipa performer based here in Pittsburgh. She has performed with ensembles like the Silk Road Ensemble and Afro Yaqui, and she recently created her new initiative, Yang Jin and Friends. Reputed as the leading pipa soloist of her generation, Yang Jin tells us more about the instrument, her upcoming performances, and her recent collaborations — and she even plays some music for us. Hear it all on our new Voice of the Arts podcast!

Film Pittsburgh Executive Director, Kathryn Spitz Cohan, stopped by WQED-FM to talk about their organization, their mission and the importance of RAD funding.

Vice-Chair of the RAD Board, Dusty Kirk, spoke with WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham about RAD, it’s 25 year history, and its plans for the future.

Mrs. Fred Rogers, Joanne Rogers, speaks with Jim Cunningham in the Fred Rogers Studio at WQED about the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” made by Tom Hanks in the studio where 500 episodes of Mr Rogers neighborhood was produced for PBS. Joanne remembers her late husband and his work dating back to 1954 at WQED. She talks about the 10 year period of script development and production details – including the number of takes it took to get the tossing of a sneaker from one hand to the other, coaching Tom Hanks on Mr Rogers voice inflection and famous phrases, where the film differs from actual events, the plans for the premiere, and much more. Introduction by WQED CEO Deborah Acklin. Recorded September 26, 2019.

Lynette Garlan of the Pittsburgh Savoyards, stopped by WQED-FM to talk about the importance of RAD funding for their organization.

Carnegie Mellon University professor Monique Mead brought in three students from her Art of Audience Engagement class to discuss their ongoing projects from the semester. Theresa Abalos discusses a project involving Afghan Refugee women in Pittsburgh, Emily Galllagher discusses ‘Yoga with Musicians: A Transformative Yoga Experience with Live Music’, and Evan Tegley discusses ‘Virtuosi in the Making’; a project involving CMU’s Osher students.

Emmy Award winning composer John Wineglass, composer of “Casop: Requiem For Rice” to be played by the Colour of Music Orchestra at Carnegie Music Hall on February 13th, discussses the music and his work on “All My Children” and with Aretha Franklin and Kurt Madura.

Lee Pringle, the Founder and Artistic Director of the Colour of Music Chamber Orchestra, runs down the concert for February 13, 2019 at Carnegie Music Hall honoring the victims of the Tree of Life shootings with Mahler’s Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony, arias by Giordano and Verdi and two African American composers with the world premiere of “Casop: Requiem For Rice Unburied, Unmourned, Unmarked,” featuring a libretto which recovers the voices of the enslaved by acclaimed historian and executive producer, Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black, and original score by composer, three-time Emmy Award-winner John Wineglass.

The author of Decoy and A Stradivari Affair , Cal Thomas, will read from his thrillers and sign them at Mystery Lovers Bookshop on February 6, 2019 at 7:00pm. Cal was a native of Oakmont for twenty years and the Vice President of International Production at WQED. His work in military intelligence and love of travel figure into his writing, as well as his experience as the Manager of the Bangor Maine Symphony Orchestra. In Decoy, a Harvard grad studying at Cambridge winds up in a jihadist plot starting with an attempt to blow up a London bus. Alan Durant befriends an American opera star (inspired by Grace Bumbry) and through many twists and turns Kyle McBride, the central figure of Thomas’ writing, saves the day. A Stradivari Affair is based on events surrounding the Huberman Stradivarius which is played today by Joshua Bell. European atmosphere, action, explosions, television industry insider detail and lots of good meals in interesting places give considerable color to both novels.

WQED’s Rick Sebak joins pianist Tom Roberts and cartoonist Wayno playing ukulele and graphic artist Dave Klug on drums to narrate ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” in their Christmas Spectacular Saturday December 15 at the Elks lounge on the Northside with dancing and stickers. A preview with music recorded at WQED-FM and conversation with Jim Cunningham.