Voice of the Arts

Acclaimed pianist, Brian Woods, discussed with WQED’s Anna Singer about his upcoming recital with the Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania on Sunday, March 24th at 3pm at the Kresge Theater on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus. Brian talks about the name of his program, Wandering, and how the Ukraine war influenced his curating of the pieces. His program highlights composers who could not return home, such as Claude Debussy, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Frederic Chopin. Brian highlights the works he chose for the program, his start as a child with the piano, and his busy schedule after the Steinway Society recital. Visit https://www.sswpa.org/ to learn more about the concert and find tickets. You can also learn more about Brian on his website, https://www.brianwoodspianist.com/.

Head of Marketing for Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival, Ritika Gokhale, and first-year student, Stephen Makin, discuss the festivals amazing line-up of Oscar nominated films from across the globe. The festival opens on Thursday, March 21st with a Tunisian film, Four Daughters at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater at 7pm. Ritika and Stephen highlight their favorites among the line-up, including the Indian film Agra and the rap film Lost Soulz. They also discuss the Short Film Competition that closes on March 24th and features local work including work shot on a phone. Ritika emphasizes the theme of Faces of Fear and how seeing new and challenging films may just change your outlook on life. The festival runs until April 7th. Visit cmuiff.com to learn more and find tickets.

Grammy award winning bass-baritone Will Liverman and pianist Jonathan King, spoke with WQED about their newly released album, Show Me the Way. This album is a passion project for the two that pays homage to the women in classical music, performers and composers, from the past and today. They commissioned pieces by Sarah Kirkland Snider, Jasmine Barnes, Libby Larsen, Rene Orth, and Kamala Sankaram, and supplemented the album with music from Florence Price, Amy Beach, and Margaret Bonds. Will talks about working with some of his idols, such as Renee Flemming, his friends such as Jonathan King, and his mother, Terry Liverman, on the various tracks in the album. Jonathan highlights how the two met in college and how their continued collaboration connects them as they travel the world. Listen to WQED-FM 89-3 Pittsburgh’s Classical music station to hear Will and Jonathan’s newest album, or find it online.

Choreographers Kontara Morphis and Rickia Davenport, discusses their upcoming show of UNDERLAND X Alice, on Thursday March 21st and Friday March 22nd at the New Hazlett Theater as part of their Community Supported Art (CSA) series. This performance based piece of theater is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. It also explores the journey of a young teen growing into a woman in 1920’s Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kontara and Rickia highlights the story of how they created this piece one day while teaching at a Propel School. Both also tell the story of how they first got into dance at the ages of 5 and 6. They describe their journey into becoming teachers/choreographers and creating their own dance company, K-Theatre Dance Complex. The show is sold out, but Kontara hopes to perform the piece again next year and is already writing a sequel. Visit https://newhazletttheater.org/events/underland-x-alice/ to learn more about the production.

Cellist and professor at the University of Connecticut, Sophie Shao, discusses with Anna Singer about her newly released CD, CanCan Macabre, that features Adrienne Kim and Ieva Jokubaviciute on the piano and a newly commissioned piece by Herschel Garfein. Sophie centered this CD around Garfein’s composition, The Layers, and chose French impressionist pieces to support the piece. Sophie also discusses her winnings of the top prizes at the Rostropovich and Tchaikovsky competitions during her career. Sophie and Anna talk about her cello by Honore Derazey that was once owned by Pablo Casals, and her next recording of Beethoven. Listen to WQED-FM 89.3 to hear Sophie Shao’s CanCan Macabre, or visit https://www.sophieshao.com/ to learn more.

Husband and wife team, Robert Schultz and Tina Faigen, spoke with Jim Cunningham about their upcoming Food for Music concert featuring the music of Robert Schultz on Saturday, March 23rd at 3pm at the James Laughlin Music Center on Chatham University’s campus. This concert is the third installment of Schultz, Faigen and Friends concert series that raises donations to the Pittsburgh Food Bank. Tina performs two piano solo pieces by Robert, Arabesque Op. 57 and Veiled Op. 58 in WQED-FM’s studio. Robert and Tina discuss the program that features recently written work by Robert which showcases Yeeha Chiu on the piano, Mark Carver on the piano, Peggy Greb on the flute, and Walter Morales on the piano. Tina highlights how colorful and rich in depth Robert’s new pieces are, and Robert highlights his influences by Debussy and modern romantic Russian composers. They also discuss their continued tradition of the concert series and the community they built with the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra. Visit https://chatham.edu/events/ to learn more.

Gold medalist and first-ever American laureate of the 7th International Bach-Abel Competition, viola de gamba player Arnie Tanimoto discusses with Anna Singer about his upcoming concert with Parker Ramsey on Friday April 5th and Saturday April 6th. Arnie highlights the program that includes 17th and 18th century French and German music that showcases the viola de gamba. The first half of the concert will concentrate on works composed by Marin Marais, and the second half will focus on his influence on Bach’s music. Arnie also talks about his beautiful commissioned instrument based on a model from the 17th century, his transition from modern cello to the viola de gamba, and how Arnie and Parker first starting playing together as a duo. To learn more about the concerts and find tickets, visit chathambaroque.org.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi’s “La Traviata” March 16th through the 24th at the Benedum Center. WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke with soprano Vuvu Mpofu, who sings the role of Violetta.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi’s “La Traviata” March 16th through the 24th at the Benedum Center. WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke with Pittsburgh-born baritone Michael Chioldi, who sings the role of Giorgio Germont.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi’s “La Traviata” March 16th through the 24th at the Benedum Center. WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke with Kristine McIntyre, the opera’s Stage Director.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi’s “La Traviata” March 16th through the 24th at the Benedum Center. WQED-FM’s Anna Singer spoke with Pittsburgh Opera’s Music Director, Antony Walker, about the music from the opera.

Co-artistic director and baroque violinist with Chatham Baroque, Andrew Fouts, discussed live with Jim Cunningham about Chatham Baroque’s upcoming annual celebration of Bach. This concert, The Joy of Bach, features bass-baritone Jonathan Woody, oboist Kathryn Montoya, violist Daniel Elyar, violinist Paul Miller, cellist Rebecca Humphrey Diederich, bassist J. Tracy Mortimore, harpsichord and organist Justin Wallace, and an organ prelude by Alan Lewis. The concert will be at the Calvary Episcopal Church on Friday, March 15th and Saturday, March 16th. Andrew highlights this large group for the concert, the program they will be performing, including the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, and the controversy surrounding Bach’s birthday in March. Visit chathambaroque.org to learn more and find tickets.