Voice of the Arts

Founding member and violist of the Ying Quartet, Phillip Ying, was on the phone live with Jim Cunningham, to speak about the Ying Quartet’s concert on April 8th, at 7:30 pm at the PNC Theatre, as a part of the Chamber Music Pittsburgh’s mainstage live series. The Quartet will be performing with double bassist, Xavier Foley, who will premiere a new work for bass quintet that was commissioned by Chamber Music Pittsburgh. The Quartet will also play Haydn’s String Quartet in B Flat Major, and Dvorak’s String Quintet in G Major. Phillip highlights how the Quartet first formed and how the past 30 years have gone. Visit https://www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org/ to learn more about the concert and find tickets.

Director of Learning and Visitor Experience, Amanda Gillen, spoke with WQED-FM at the Frick Art Museum about the programming around the new exhibition Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt: Forging the Frick Collections in Pittsburgh and New York. Amanda highlights two concerts and their Full Day Programs. The first concert is on Sunday, April 14th with the Trio Granato as they play French impressionist and Dutch Baroque music to compliment the exhibition. The second is on Sunday, May 5th with members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to present pieces of music chosen to compliment several pieces in the exhibit. The Full Day programs on Saturday, April 20th and Saturday, June 1st, pair the Frick complex including the Clayton house and art museum, with the Carrie Blast Furnace or the West Overton Village. Programs run until July 12th, and the exhibition runs April 6th to July 14th. Visit https://www.thefrickpittsburgh.org to learn more about the programs and the exhibition.

Chief Curator and Director of Collections at the Frick Pittsburgh, Dawn Brean, spoke with WQED-FM at the Frick Art Museum about the opening of Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt: Forging the Frick Collections in Pittsburgh and New York. This once-in-a-lifetime exhibit features works by masters including one of 36 known works by Vermeer, as well as pieces from Helen Clay Frick’s Italian Renaissance collection. Dawn highlights her favorite piece in this exhibit, how the exhibit came to be, and what goes into the process of curating a collection as unique as this. Visit https://www.thefrickpittsburgh.org/ to learn more and find tickets.

Visual Artist Marie Watt and Curator at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Liz Park, spoke with Jim Cunningham about the museum’s upcoming exhibit, Marie Watt: LAND STITCHES WATER SKY, opening on April 13th. This exhibit explores two materials tied to the industrial history of Western Pennsylvania, steel and glass, from Marie’s Indigenous perspective. Marie describes the exhibit that includes very large steel I-Beams and stitched blankets. Liz highlights the museums collaboration with Marie and how this project began. The exhibit will be open until September 22nd. Visit https://carnegieart.org/exhibition/marie-watt/ to learn more.

Broadway singer and Emmy, Tony, and SAG Award nominee, Norm Lewis, spoke with WQED-FM’s Anna Singer by phone about his upcoming concert with the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra (TRYPO) on May 5th at 6 pm at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Norm discusses his storied career on stage and screen, including being the first African American Phantom in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and his most recent work in Da 5 Bloods by Spike Lee. Norm highlights his beginnings as a business major in Orlando, Florida, and how a job on a cruise ship changed his life. Norm also spoke about his work with the Black Theatre United, an organization which hopes to bring more Black people, stories, and voices in theatre communities across the country. Anna and Norm also bond over their shared interest in tennis in school. Visit https://trypo.org/events/ to find tickets for TRYPO’s upcoming concert in May.

Director of IDEA Initiatives and Community Engagement with the Pittsburgh Opera, Rebekah Diaz, spoke with Jim Cunningham in this Voice of the Arts Gospel podcast about two upcoming events at the Pittsburgh Opera. The first event is a collaboration with the Afro-American Music Institute. Opera Meets Jazz, is Friday, April 5th at 7 pm at the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Homewood. Diaz highlights the Pittsburgh Resident Artists that will be performing, and members from the AAMI that will combine opera arias with jazz. Rebekah also discusses a second event, Sharing Experiences of Black Creatives, Sunday, April 14th at 2 pm at the Bitz Opera Factory. This free panel discussion of Black creatives in Pittsburgh will share their own experiences working in the arts. Rebekah highlights how both events tie into the last opera of the season, The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, an opera about the pioneering African American woman who created the National Negro Opera Company in Pittsburgh during the 1940s. Jim also asks Rebekah about her work at the Opera and how diversity and inclusion efforts are central to uplifting and sharing stories. Visit https://www.pittsburghopera.org/ to learn more.

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PR and Marketing Manager, Lisa Alexander, spoke with WQED-FM about the many exciting upcoming events happening at Calliope. One such event is a special concert from The Seldom Scene, happening this Saturday, April 6th, at 7pm at the Carnegie Lecture Hall. The Seldom Scene was last in Pittsburgh over 10 years ago and was first established in 1971. This progressive bluegrass style band is coming back with all of their hits. Lisa also highlights two more concerts, Cana Dulce y Cana Brava from Veracruz on April 20th, and Harry Manx on May 4th. Lisa talks about Calliope’s history, its School of Folk Music, and the planning of next season which will be released soon. Visit https://calliopehouse.org/events/list/ to learn more about the upcoming events and find tickets.

Harpist Parker Ramsay, discusses with Anna Singer about his upcoming concert with Arnie Tanimoto as a part of Chatham Baroque and Renaissance Baroque’s concert series. Parker and Arnie’s concert, In the Court of the King, will be Friday, April 5th, at the Teutonia Mannerchor and Saturday, April 6th, at the Hicks Memorial Chapel. Parker talks about the music they will be playing from the 17th and 18th century courts of Europe with Marin Marais and Johann Sebastian Bach. Parker also discusses his studies as a young harp player, and his recordings of the Goldberg Variation transcriptions and a more modern album with King’s College Cambridge. Visit https://www.chathambaroque.org/ to learn more about the concert and find tickets.

Lisa Velten Smith stars as Galactia in Quantum Theatre’s “Scenes From An Execution” by Howard Barker directed by Andrew William Smith at Abiding Missions in Pittsburgh’s Southside neighborhood of Allentown. They join Jim Cunningham to talk over the special features of the plot set in 16th Century Venice looking at the relationship of art and power and having fun with it in sensuality. The cast, the location, working together as husband and wife, the world of soap operas and Lisa’s work in the production of “American Rust” and why there are no entrances for late arrivals all pop up in the conversation. Running from From April 5th through the 27.

Gospel choir director from First Unitarian Church and Administrative Pastor to Bishop Thelma Mitchell, Reverend Deryck Tines, discussed with WQED-FM in this Gospel rendition of Voice of the Arts about the First Unitarian Church’s Easter Concert on Saturday, March 30th at 6 pm. This concert will feature The Lemington Gospel Choir, the Community Singers from the First Unitarian Church, Howie Alexander, Janay Giles, Felecia Harvey, Del Fullum, Erias Blackwell, Bishop Thelma Mitchell, Lee Saville-Iksie, Anita Brown Levels, Solomon Onyukwu, and many others. Pastor Deryck and WQED’s Jim Cunningham highlight the concert, where else you can find gospel music in the city of Pittsburgh, and how music continues to lift people up.

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Senior Curator at the Heinz History Center, Leslie Przybylek, spoke with WQED-FM about her work on a newly opened exhibit at the Center, A Woman’s Place: How Women Shaped Pittsburgh. This exhibit takes an interactive journey through women’s history from the 1800s to modern day. Leslie discusses the changemaker women that the exhibit highlights, including Nellie Bly, Mary Cardwell Dawson, Peggy Owens Skillen, and Sophie Masloff. She also talks about how Rosie the Riveter continues to inspire young woman today and how everyday women in Pittsburgh brought change. The exhibit runs until October 6th, and there will be more programs and events around this exhibit soon. Visit https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/ to learn more and reserve tickets.

Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Attack Theatre, Peter Kope, discussed live with Anna Singer about their upcoming show of The Show of 1000 Tomorrows, running weekends April 5th to April 13th. Inspired by worlds fairs and the phrase, 1000 Tomorrows, this 3 act dance piece explores the idea of perpetual motion and the constant renewing cycle of life. Peter talks about using music written by their music director, Dave Eggar, and Squnok’s Kevin Kornicki. They also will use music from Chatham Baroque. In addition, Peter reveals the true story of how Attack Theatre got its name. Visit https://www.attacktheatre.com/ to learn more about the show and to find tickets.