Classical QED’s Anna Singer will take part in a concert Friday, August 14th at The Church of the Assumption in Bellevue honoring Father Tim Deely. She spoke with Father Tim and organizer Samuele Bozzolla live on the QED Afternoon Show about the concert.
The concert marks the end of Father Tim’s seven-year tenure at the church. He’ll soon leave for Italy to study canon law for three years. Sam organized this concert as a farewell for Father Tim, bringing together various singers to perform sacred music. Anna will perform, as well as Timothy Ore and Chelsea Cockburn of the Mendelssohn Choir, and members of the Assumption Choir.
Join Anna Singer for Father Tim’s farewell concert at 7:00pm on Friday, August 14th at The Church of the Assumption in Bellevue. More information is available on the Regina Coeli Parish website.
The New Hazlett Theater celebrates its 20th anniversary with a screening of the new film, Making Space: The Story of the New Hazlett Theater. The film’s producer, WQED Digital Content Manager Emily Brunner, spoke with Jim Cunningham live on the QED Morning Show about the documentary and the event.
Emily explains how the film got its start, originating from Voice of the Arts interviews she had done during her tenure as WQED-FM’s producer. She spent a lot of time last year filming interviews with the New Hazlett and Pittsburgh Public Theater, visiting the University of Pittsburgh archives, and getting drone shots from the New Hazlett. Emily also talks about accessing the film on WQED+, which she curates.
Please join WQED and the New Hazlett Theater to watch Making Space on Thursday, July 30th at 7:30pm. The screening is free to attend—guests are encouraged to RSVP on the New Hazlett’s website. You can also stream the documentary on WQED+ starting on Friday, July 31st.
Russian pianist and composer Arsentiy Kharitonov recently released a new Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. WQED=FM’s Anna Singer speaks with Arsentiy about the piece.
Arsentiy talks about developing as a pianist and what led him to start composing. He says being a performer was not enough for him—he always wanted to create his own music and to revive the Romantic tradition of the composer-performer. Arsentiy also walks Anna through each movement of the concerto, which he calls a sophisticated, dark journey.
Visit Arsentiy Kharitonov’s website to learn more about him and his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.
The New Hazlett Theater celebrates its 20th anniversary with a screening of the new film, Making Space: The Story of the New Hazlett Theater. Executive Director René Conrad and Artistic Director Melissa Cardello-Linton speak with Jim Cunningham about the New Hazlett and the film.
The film, produced by WQED’s Emily Brunner, features interviews covering the history of the building and the New Hazlett’s relationship with its resident companies. René and Melissa talk about Carnegie, the old organ, and what’s next for the New Hazlett. The screening will be preceded by a VIP cocktail hour starting at 6:00pm, featuring live music and speakers, and will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by Jim Cunningham.
Please join WQED and the New Hazlett Theater to watch Making Space on Thursday, July 30th at 7:30pm. The screening is free to attend—guests are encouraged to RSVP on the New Hazlett’s website. You can also stream the documentary on WQED+ starting on Friday, July 31st.
Bill McLaughlin, Peabody Award-winning conductor, composer, and longtime host of Exploring Music, passed away yesterday, July 23rd. To remember and honor him, WQED-FM would like to share a 2013 interview with Bill, for which he joined Jim Cunningham in celebrating 10 years of Exploring Music.
Bill talked about preparing for the program and his intention to create a space where listeners could discover classical music. He also remembered his time as a trombonist in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra from 1969-1975 and told stories about working with William Steinberg and touring with the orchestra in Japan.
Bill went on to conduct and host Michigan Public Radio’s Saint Paul Sunday program and began hosting WFMT’s Exploring Music in 2003. He and Jim discussed the current state of classical music—Bill believed there are more people listening to classical music today than at any time in history.
The Singing Sisters Rosalie and Rosemonde Deck were a sibling duo from the Sisters of Divine Providence. Jim Cunningham speaks with Sister Rosamonde and Sister Mary Traupman about the sisters’ performing career and more.
Sister Rosamonde talks about growing up in a musical family, recording CDs at WQED, and singing for American troops in Germany. Sister Mary explains the reasons for a recent global decrease in vocations and the challenges for women in the modern Catholic church. The sisters also discuss religious trends in Catholicism and the importance of music in education.
More information about the Sisters of Divine Providence is available on their website.
The 2026 Flood City Music Festival returns to Johnstown this weekend! The festival begins with a free concert on Thursday night, with the main festival happening on Friday July 24th and Saturday July 25th.
WQED-FM’s Bryan Sejvar spoke with Festival Director of Marketing Shelley Johansson about this year’s festival including the headliners Greensky Bluegrass featuring Holly Bowling and the Disco Biscuits. She also talks about some of the other acts she’s looking forward to; the importance of the festival to include local acts; information on camping for the weekend (which includes tubing on the river!); the ease of getting around People’s Natural Gas Park; and how the festival benefits Heritage Johnstown. Shelley says people from Johnstown head to Pittsburgh all the time, so take the easy drive for the festival.
For tickets and information, visit www.floodcitymusic.com.
The grand finale of this year’s Bach, Beethoven and Brunch series takes place this Sunday, July 26th, featuring Academy Concerts’ “HaydnBurgh” project! Artistic Director Warren Davidson spoke with Anna Singer live on the QED Afternoon Show about the program.
“HaydnBurgh” is an initiative to perform all of 57 Haydn string quartets in the Pittsburgh area. This concert will feature three quartets, Opus 9, #5 in B flat major, Opus 50, #2 in C major, and Opus 71, #2 in D major. Warren talks about how much fun he has programming and performing these concerts. Warren also explains how string quartets evolved out of private homes and into public performances.
Join Academy Concerts in Mellon Park for “HaydnBurgh” this Sunday, July 26th at 10:30am. More information is available on the City of Pittsburgh website.
With the merger between Pittsburgh Public Theater and the Civic Light Opera underway, Interim Board Chair Tom McGough speaks with Jim Cunningham about the process and future of both organizations.
Tom talks about how the merger came about, and how he came to lead the efforts to combine the two organizations. He cites the challenges that the theater world faces today. Tom hopes to close the deal by July 31st, and estimates three shows and a sneak peek into the 2027 season by the end of this year.
The merger intends to continue the legacies of both organizations, combining the Public’s work in classical theater and the CLO’s commitment to developing and producing musical theater. Tom hopes the merger will foster a “theater ecology” in downtown Pittsburgh that will continue to grow and uplift the community.
Updates about the merger are available online from The Next Act.
Alumni Theater Company present the Tony Award-winning musical Once on This Island, running at the Charity Randall Theatre from July 31st–August 2nd. Jim Cunningham speaks with ATC’s Artistic Director Monteze Freeland, Marketing Manager Shae Wofford, and actress Sharae Bynum about the show.
Monteze talks about the show’s story and ATC’s mission to uplift Black voices in theater. Sharae, who plays one of the storytellers, explains her role in the musical and how she feels at home with the company. Shae will play the role of Agwe; he praises the cast and crew. All three also speak about their experiences with diversity in theater and why they love theater.
Don’t miss Once on This Island with Alumni Theater Company at the Charity Randall Theatre from July 31st-August 2nd. More information and tickets are available on ATC’s website.
This Sunday, July 19th, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jacob Joyce perform for Bach, Beethoven and Brunch. Fresh off conducting a concert of movie music the night before, Maestro Joyce joined Jim Cunningham to talk about what they will play on the concert. They also touched on other topics like the PSO’s recent 4th of July concerts, the upcoming tour of Europe, the Festival in Danbury Connecticut Jacob will participate in, and a recap of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra tour of Greece.
Catch members of the Pittsburgh Symphony at the City of Pittsburgh’s FREE Bach, Beethoven and Brunch concert – Sunday July 19th, 10:30am at Mellon Park (Rose Garden Lawn at the intersection of 5th and Shady Avenues.)
Emmy Award-winning composer Bruce Broughton speaks with Anna Singer about his album, And on the Sixth Day / String Theory from the Naxos label. He also touches on his celebrated career as a film and television composer, having worked on Tombstone, Miracle on 34th Street, Hawaii Five-O, and more.
Bruce talks about his approach to composing, how he handles instrumentation, and writing themes. He tells the story of his piece And on the Sixth Day, which highlights oboist Olivier Stankiewicz. Bruce also remembers starting his film career at CBS surrounded by the likes of Henry Mancini and Jerry Goldsmith, and provides insight into the life of a studio musician.
For more information and to purchase Bruce’s CD, And on the Sixth Day / String Theory, visit the Naxos label website.