Voice of the Arts

QED's Jim Cunningham ventured to City of Asylum's campus to speak with their recently appointed Executive Director, Andrés Franco, about his transition, the organization's mission, and their 2026 Jazz Poetry programming. Andrés previously served as the organization's Executive Director from 2020-2023, and comes back to City of Asylum after wrapping up his role as Executive Director of Attack Theatre. He recounts the story of the global City of Asylum movement, which was started by writer Salman Rushdie, and the founding of its Pittsburgh chapter. City of Asylum is currently presenting their Jazz Poetry month, a long-standing tradition which combines the improvisational nature of jazz music with multi-cultural poetry readings. Performances are at 7:00pm on May 7th, May 14th, and May 21st. You can learn more about City Asylum on their website. Tickets to all City of Asylum programs are free; RSVP to the Jazz Poetry performances and more here. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The North Hills Chorale has their 2026 spring concert this weekend at St. Vincent Hall at the Vincentian Learning and Engagement Institute. The choir's manager Tara Berdik speaks with Jim Cunningham about their program, "America in Harmony, 250 Years of Song." Featured on the program are American favorites, including the Star-Spangled Banner, God Bless America, and Shenandoah. Tara's favorite is "The Midnight Ride Paul Revere," a seven-minute piece which has been a fulfilling challenge for the choir. Tom Koharchik serves as the Music Director of the choir, which was founded in the 90s and has grown to over 50 members. The North Hills Chorale will be at St. Vincent Hall on McKnight Road on Friday, May 8th at 7:30pm and on Sunday, May 10th at 2:00pm. A small reception will follow, featuring a cookie table. Admission is free, and you can find more information on the North Hills Chorale's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Beth Corning, Artistic Director, choreographer, and performer for Corningworks, presents the latest installment of her Glue Factory Projects, Foolish Assumptions. Beth sat down with Anna Singer to speak about the production. The Glue Factory Projects are original productions created by Beth that feature dancers over 40 years old. Foolish Assumptions examines the "foolish assumptions" we as people make about each other. Beth stars in the performance alongside Evan Fisk, with an extremely sparse stage (just two dancers and two chairs). Beth tells Anna that the story of the performance is entirely up to the audience--what we assume about the plot and characters will be drawn from our own biases. The dance will be accompanied by a wide variety of music, from Beethoven to contemporary pieces. Foolish Assumptions will open on the weekend of May 14th at Point Park University's George Rowland White Theatre and runs through the following weekend, May 20th-23rd. Performance details and tickets are available on the Corningworks website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bach Choir recently wrapped up their 2025-2026 season with "Oscar Nods!" Assistant Director Jon Erik Schreiber and Choir President Tybe Brett spoke with Anna Singer live on the QED Afternoon Show about their upcoming event, Sing Democracy 250. Sing Democracy 250 is a national choral odyssey commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It will feature performances by choir across the country; the Bach Choir will host their concert at the O'Reilly Theater on July 3rd. Jon Erik will share conducting duties with Artistic Director Thomas Douglas. Jon Erik and Tybe are opening a call for Pittsburgh singers to join the Bach Choir for this performance. Anyone is welcome to participate, and community members are encouraged to contact info@bachchoirpittsburgh.org to express their interest in joining. Singers who are members of other choirs can contact their Artistic Directors, who have received registration forms for their choir members. Rehearsals begin on May 19th at Rodef Shalom's Levy Hall. Keep an eye out for more information on the Bach Choir's website. You can learn more about Sing Democracy 250 and find all of the music for the program on their website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ginger Brooks Takahashi is the only Pittsburgh-based artist that will be featured in the 59th Carnegie International! WQED Digital Correspondent Nick Tommarello ventured down to the Carnegie Museum of Art to speak with Ginger about her International exhibition. Ginger's work for the exhibition includes a garden of perilla frutescens, a plant in the mint family that is a staple of Japanese and Korean cuisine. Through her art, she examines the importance of perilla to the Japanese and Korean diaspora. Perilla is considered an invasive species to many areas in the United States, and Ginger has created a companion piece that will be featured inside the museum, which compares language used in reference to invasive species to the xenophobic language used in reference to migration. You can see Ginger's garden and companion artwork as part of the 59th Carnegie International. The International opens May 2nd and runs through January 3rd, 2027. Learn more about Ginger's work and explore other featured artists on the CMOA's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh have commissioned a new piece for their 2026 season finale concert! Composer Trevor Weston, Artistic Director Edward Leonard, and Executive Director Andrew Swensen sat down with Anna Singer live on the QED Afternoon Show to talk about the program. Trevor speaks about his piece, Steel City Sounds, which draws inspiration from August Wilson, Billy Strayhorn, and Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception. The concert will also feature performances from COP's two Young Artist Concerto Competition winners and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. Eddie and Andrew give a run-down of COP's upcoming season, which has just been announced. Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh will wrap up their season this Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30pm at Rodef Shalom's Levy Hall. Performance details and tickets can be found on COP's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Christine Brondyke, Executive Director of the Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley, stopped by the WQED-FM studio to chat with Anna Singer about the organization. Sweetwater celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and it continues to be the epicenter of Northwest Pittsburgh's arts community. Christine talks about their recent move into the old Sewickley post office, their new brand campaign, and their mission as a nonprofit to serve all members of the community. She also discusses Sweetwater's mobile art unit, SweetRide, a retrofitted truck that takes their programming out into the community. Christine takes Anna through the different programs offered by the center, including summer camps, and a multitude of classes. Their new space has multiple galleries inside, one of which featured an exhibition of Anna's own art. Their current Mezzanine Gallery exhibition is called Crafted in the Valley: Contemporary Voices in Appalachia and includes the work of 38 local, regional, and national artists. You can learn more about the Sweetwater Center for the Arts, explore programs & classes, and make a donation on their website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SERIO has an upcoming production of Gaetano Donizetti's opera, Don Pasquale, opening May 8th! Founder Louisa Jonason, director Rebecca Kerr, and tenor George Milosh sat down with Anna Singer live on the QED Afternoon Show to talk about the show. Louisa, who will be leading the production from the keyboard, explains her history with Don Pasquale and praises the cast's talents. George is returning to SERIO after appearing in their production of La Bohème as Rudolfo. He will sing Ernesto in this opera. The production will be at the Cultural Trust's newest venue, Three Stories, on Liberty Ave. Rebecka talks about moving into that space and opera's place in Pittsburgh's arts community. SERIO will be at Three Stories in the Cultural District with Donizetti's Don Pasquale May 8th-10th. Friday and Saturday's performances are at 7:30pm, with Sunday's matinee at 2:00pm. Get tickets here. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Prime Stage Theatre will present the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Playwright Tammy Ryan sat down with Melissa Black to talk about the show. Speak follows Melinda, a teenage girl who struggles with sexual assault and uses art to find her voice. Tammy talks about adapting the story for the stage, working with the production's director, Dana Hardy Bingham, and how the cast of young actors has taken on the project. She details the decision to cast both sides of Melinda, having one actor for her outward self and one for her inner voice. You can see Speak, opening this weekend, at the New Hazlett Theater. Friday, May 1st is a pay-what-you-can preview night, with the official opening night on Saturday, May 2nd at 7:30pm. A discussion with the author of the book will following the opening performance. Speak returns the following weekend, May 8th-10th. More details and tickets can be found on both Prime Stage Theatre's website and the New Hazlett's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 59th Carnegie International, If the word we, opens this weekend on Saturday, May 2nd and will run until January 3rd, 2027. Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for the Art and History Museums Stefanie Cedro Mohr and Carnegie Museum of Art Director of Education and Public Programming Dana Bishop-Root spoke with Jim Cunningham live on the QED Morning Show about the exhibition. Dana explains the meaning of the exhibition's title, If the word we, as an intentional vehicle for communal listening and learning. The Museum of Art is collaborating with the Children's Museum, Kamin Science Center, the Mattress Factory, and the Thelma Lovette YMCA for this year's International. Stefanie and Dana talk about participating artists and artwork, including sculpture, installation, musical performances, and animation. Jim, Stefanie, and Dana also listen to excerpts from Bizet's Carmen, which features in the International. Learn more about the 59th Carnegie International at the Carnegie Museum of Art's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joe Calarco's vibrant adaptation of Romeo & Juliet comes to the City Theatre Mainstage, blurring the line between dreams and reality! The show's co-producers, Julia He and Alexander Farrell, and scenic designer, Sebastian Zavalza, spoke with Melissa Black about it. Shakespeare's R&J follows four male students, living under strict rules, who defiantly and curiously act out Shakespeare's play. Alexander and Sebastian talk about the students' interaction with the play as they discover and identify with Shakespeare's words. Julia tells Melissa how she put the show together and her love for City Theatre's space. Sebastian explains how the set imagery reflects and inspires the emotions felt by the characters. All three encourage audiences to reflect on the adaptation's message--whether to take control of our voices or remain compliant through silence. Shakespeare's R&J runs at City Theatre from May 8th-10th. Friday's performance is at 7:30pm. There are two performances on Saturday, at 2:00pm and 7:30pm, and the Sunday matinee is at 2:00pm. More information and tickets are available on City Theatre's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chief Naturalist Brian Cunningham of Wild Birds Unlimited speaks with Jim Cunningham about birdsong in music and nature with references to Vivaldi's Goldfinch Concerto and Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. Brian tells Jim how to attract hummingbirds, a good starter kit to bring birds to your back yard, and what birds are in Western PA now. He discusses whether bird feeders interfere with Mother Nature, and how to prevent rats and squirrels from getting in your feeder. Brian hosts a podcast called Nature Centered, where he talks about feeding birds and enjoying nature right in your own backyard. There are three Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Western PA, located in Pittsburgh, Wexford, and Monroeville. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hold On to Your Music: A Mother's Legacy with pianist Mona Golabek will be screened for the JFilm Festival on Saturday, May 2nd at 6:30pm in McConomy Auditorium at CMU. Mona joined Jim Cunningham to chat about the documentary. Mona will play the piano with selections from the documentary inspired by her book The Children of Willesden Lane and the Hershey Felder-directed play, The Pianist of Willesden Lane, telling her mother's story and the story of her family during WWII. The family story involves the Kindertransport, which transported 10,000 children from Nazi occupied Europe to England but asked parents to make terrible choices of who left and who stayed behind. Mona's maternal grandparents died in Auschwitz; her father was a resistance fighter in France. Mona tells Jim Cunningham about her radio show The Romantic Hours, which aired on WQED-FM and how the documentary film she has made touches on events of today. Mona connects Korngold leaving Vienna with the Nazi presence building up before the war and Rachmaninoff's longing for his homeland, as well as other European expats who wound up in Mona's birthplace, Los Angeles. The film is a story of resilience and hope, the power of music and honoring your family legacy. You can watch Hold on to Your Music: A Mother's Legacy as part of the JFilm Festival on Saturday, May 2nd at 6:30pm at CMU's McConomy Auditorium. For more information and tickets, visit JFilm's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

North Pittsburgh Symphonic Band's spring concert is coming up on May 3rd, 2026! Conductor & Musical Director Tad Greig and President, Board Chari, & French horn Melissa Corso spoke with Anna Singer live on the QED Afternoon Show to talk about the program. The band will play excerpts from Copland's Appalachian Spring, Sousa's Manhattan Beach March, Naohiro Iwai's arrangement of El Cumbanchero by Rafael Hernandez, and more. Melissa's pick was Eric Whitacre's Godzilla Eats Las Vegas; she and Tad praise the musicians' rise to that piece's challenge. There will be a projection accompaniment with the piece in classic Godzilla style. Tad shares conducting duties with Assistant Conductor Sean Desguin. The concert takes place at 3:00pm on Sunday, May 3rd at North Hills Middle School. There will be a reception after, where you can mingle with Tad, Melissa, and the musicians. More information and tickets can be found on NPSB's website. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Written and performed by Yvonne Hudson, Mrs. Shakespeare returns for William Shakespeare's birthday this Thursday, April 23rd! Yvonne talks to Anna Singer about her ever-evolving solo show, which she will perform at the Shakespeare statue outside the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Yvonne has been performing as Agnes "Anne" Hathaway for almost 40 years. She was inspired to create this labor of love out of a personal curiosity about the Shakespeare family and the historic treatment of Anne. Yvonne talks about Anne's life, losing their son Hamnet, and performing excerpts of Shakespeare plays through a feminist lens. You can see excerpts of Mrs. Shakespeare this Thursday, April 23rd as part of Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks' Week of Will birthday celebrations at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Registration is encouraged. Learn more about other Week of Will 2026 events on PSiP's website. Yvonne will also perform the entirety of the show on May 16th in the English nationality room of the Cathedral of Learning. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi's "Falstaff" April 28th through May 3rd at the Benedum Center. It's the final production of their 2025-2026 Season, as well as Christopher Hahn's final opera as General Director. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Michael Chioldi about his role as Falstaff; growing up in Pittsburgh; how he ended up in opera and working with Marianne Cornetti for 30 years. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi's "Falstaff" April 28th through May 3rd at the Benedum Center. It's the final production of their 2025-2026 Season, as well as Christopher Hahn's final opera as General Director. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Marianne Cornetti about her role as Mistress Quickly; how the role fits her voice perfectly, although it's still a difficult sing; and how Verdi is her favorite opera composer. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi's "Falstaff" April 28th through May 3rd at the Benedum Center. It's the final production of their 2025-2026 Season, as well as Christopher Hahn's final opera as General Director. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Stage Director Crystal Manich about this being Verdi's final opera; enjoying the play within the play aspect of the opera; and working with a bunch of Pittsburghers!! Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pittsburgh Opera presents Verdi's "Falstaff" April 28th through May 3rd at the Benedum Center. It's the final production of their 2025-2026 Season, as well as Christopher Hahn's final opera as General Director. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Music Director Antony Walker who says it's one of his favorite opera's. He also talks about the Pittsburgh-centric cast and how's it's an opera that is always on the go. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On Sunday April 19th, 2026, WQED-FM broadcast the 2026 Heinz Chapel Choir Spring Concert titled "The Heavenward Path." The concert served as a warm up for the choir's tour to Estonia and Latvia in May 2026. After the concert, host Anna Singer spoke with Heinz Chapel Choir Director Dr. Susan Rice about putting the program together and her thoughts on the upcoming tour. Anna also spoke with Alto Lydia Roberts, who was named the winner of the John Goldsmith Award for Choral Excellence recipient. Lydia talks about her surprise of winning the award as well as her favorite parts of the concert. Finally, Anna spoke with senior Jack Lorence about the concert, his favorite part of being involved with the choir and his excitement for the tour. Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.