Voice of the Arts

World renowned pianist, composer, and recording artist, John Bayless, and award-winning director, Stewart M. Schulman, spoke live with Anna Singer about their new documentary, Left Alone Rhapsody, that will have its Pittsburgh premiere as a part of the Jewish Film Festival's opening night on Thursday May 2nd at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Left Alone Rhapsody chronicles John Bayless's rise from a young musical prodigy to an internationally renowned recording artist, and his courageous struggle post-stroke to reinvent himself. The gala will include a screening of the film, a live Q&A with John and Stewart, a live performance by John, and a dessert reception. Charitable proceeds benefit Film Pittsburgh and the John Bayless Fund for Brain Research. John discusses his struggles after his stroke and reminisces about his 2006 album, The Puccini Album: Arias for Piano. Visit https://filmpittsburgh.org/films/left-alone-rhapsody to learn more about the film and find tickets for Thursday night. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Director Andy Hickly and Board Treasurer and Production Manager, Lynette Garlan, from the Pittsburgh Savoyards discuss their upcoming production of Sleeping Beauty at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center May 3rd to 11th. Andy talks about his adaptation of the well-known fairytale, and how he decided to focus on the love story between Rose and her Princeling. Lynette also highlights an art reception on May 19th from 3 to 5 pm in Bellevue to showcase 3 Savoyard visual artists. She then leaks the Savoyards upcoming 87th season starting this summer with A Flea in Her Ear and ending with HMS Pinafore in March of 2025. Visit https://pittsburghsavoyards.org/ to learn more about their upcoming events and find tickets for Sleeping Beauty. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Artistic Director and Founder of Resonance Works, Maria Sensi Sellner, and soprano Zuly Inirio, discuss with Anna Singer live about their upcoming program, Tumbao! A Celebration of Afro-Latin Music, this Sunday, April 28th at 3 pm at the First United Methodist Church in Bloomfield. Zuly discusses how the program originated from a recording project she did and her passion for exploring works by Afro-Latin music makers, and Maria highlights the rest of the wonderful ensemble in the program that includes Amaury Morales on piano, and Hugo Cruz on percussion. Visit https://www.resonanceworks.org/tumbao to learn more about the program and find tickets.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Music Director and Conductor of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras (TRYPO), Brian Worsdale, spoke with Anna Singer and Jim Cunningham about their upcoming concert, Cheers to 50 Years! on May 5th at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Brian highlights the two concerts on the 5th, one at 1:15 pm that showcases all four symphonic groups and the other at 6 pm that features the Young Peoples Orchestra with Broadway star Norm Lewis. Brian also talks about the very special award that TRYPO will be giving to WQED-FM's own Jim Cunningham and Anna Singer. Visit https://trypo.org/ to find the program and tickets!DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Artistic Director and Conductor of Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, Thomas Douglas, spoke with WQED-FM's afternoon host, Anna Singer, about their upcoming concert, A Satire: Carmina Burana Africana, on Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th at the Campbell Memorial Chapel at Chatham University. Thomas discusses how this version of Carmina Burana differs slightly with the inclusion of an African drum ensemble from West Virginia University and dancing with K-Theatre Dance Complex. Thomas also introduces a very special guest, his dog, Betty Davis. Visit https://www.bachchoirpittsburgh.org/ to learn more and find tickets. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Producing Artistic Director of Prime Stage Theatre, Wayne Brinda, spoke with WQED-FM about Prime Stage's upcoming production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution running from May 3rd to May 12th at the New Hazlett Theater. Wayne talks about the shows intrigue and drama, as a man is put on trial for murder with his wife being a witness for the prosecution! Wayne also highlights their special post-show discussion on May 4th with New York Times bestselling author and Pittsburgh native, Marie Benedict, whose historical fiction novels explore many people including Agatha Christie. Visit https://primestage.com/events/witness/ to learn more about the show and find tickets. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Founder of Aria412 Desiree Soteres and Board Chair, Dr. Mildred Myers, spoke with Jim Cunningham about several upcoming events for the group. The first event features a program entitled Bad Company, on May 7th at 7 pm at Hop Farm Brewing Company. Following that event, Aria412 will present I Hear America Singing, May 9th to the 11th at the Rauh Studio Theatre on University of Pittsburgh's campus. Desiree highlights how they will also be producing a filmed version of I Hear America Singing. They both also briefly discuss their new full length opera performance based on Thomas the Rhymer in October of this year. Visit https://www.aria412pgh.com/ to learn more about Aria412 and find tickets.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Pittsburgh Opera presents "The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson" at the Byham Theater from April 27th through May 5th. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Meroe Khalia Adeeb, who sings the role of Isabelle.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Pittsburgh Opera presents "The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson" at the Byham Theater from April 27th through May 5th. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with stage director Kimille Howard.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Pittsburgh Opera presents "The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson" at the Byham Theater from April 27th through May 5th. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Christian Mark Gibbs, who sings the role of Frank.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Pittsburgh Opera presents "The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson" at the Byham Theater from April 27th through May 5th. WQED-FM's Anna Singer spoke with Alyson Cambridge, who sings the role of Mary Cardwell Dawson. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

The 2nd annual Vanka Block Party takes place on Sunday, April 28, 2024 from 12-4pm at the St. Nicholas Croation Catholic Parish in Millvale. Becky Gaugler, Director of Education & Interpretation for the Maxo Vanka Murals, and Rick Robinson, aka CutTime Simfonica, spoke with Jim Cunningham about the Murals, the event and more. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Professor of Organ and Sacred Music at Duquesne University, Dr. Ann Labounsky Steele, and world-renowned organist and choral director, Dr. Wilma Jensen, spoke with Jim Cunningham about their upcoming concert and masterclass at the Recital Chapel of the Holy Spirit on Duquesne's campus. The concert will be this Sunday, April 28th, at 3 pm, with the masterclass on Tuesday the 30th at 3 pm. Wilma discusses the program for the concert, and her new book Organ Footnotes that is read by many organ students today. Ann discusses how she and Wilma met, and Wilma highlights how she has no plans to stop playing, even at the age of 95. You can listen to organ performances in Pittsburgh on WQED-FM 89-3 at 10 pm every Sunday.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

The Pitt Men's Glee Club presents their Spring Concert on Saturday April 20th, 7:30pm at First Baptist Church. Director Richard Teaster and Men's Glee Club member Nate Ginck stopped by the QED Morning Show with Jim Cunningham to talk about the concert. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Maestro's Edward Leonard and Awadagin Pratt from Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh discuss with Jim Cunningham live about their upcoming concert tomorrow, Saturday April 20th, at 7:30 pm at Rodef Shalom. Awadagin will be guest conducting the program that includes Avro Part's Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten and Beethoven's Symphony No 7. He will also be performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 in A Major. They play a recording from Awadagin's last time conducting the Chamber Orchestra, the last movement of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 1. Visit https://copgh.org/concerts to learn more.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Executive Director of Film Pittsburgh, Kathryn Spitz Cohan, spoke to WQED-FM about their upcoming international independent Jewish film festival, JFilm, that runs from May 2nd to May 12th with showings at Carnegie Mellon University's McConomy auditorium and The Oaks Theater in Oakmont. Kathryn highlights the opening night showing of Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. The film is a documentary about the pianist, composer, and conductor, John Bayless, who for 30 years had a very long career as a solo pianist touring across the world. The film also showcases his debilitating stroke, and how he continues to reinvent himself, even after losing function of his right side of his body. This special showing is followed by a performance by John Bayless, and a dessert reception with the director of the film, Stewart Schulman. Kathryn talks about the other 15 showings that happen during the film festival, ticket prices, and the many nostalgic documentaries that are in the festival. Visit https://filmpittsburgh.org/pages/jfilm to learn more and find tickets for the whole festival or just specific showings. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Members of the Academy String Quartet, violist Warren Davidson, and violinist Jorie Butler-Geyer, discusses their upcoming concert at the Allegheny Church in the Northside on Sunday, April 21st at 7:30 pm. This last concert at Allegheny Church features a program called Dances and Madrigals. Jorie and Warren talk about the program that combines Mendelssohn's quartet in E-Flat and Czech master Bohuslav Martinu with his Three Madrigals. Jorie and Warren perform in WQED-FM's studios two movements of the Three Madrigals, Poco allegro and Poco andante. Visit https://www.facebook.com/AcademyConcerts to learn more and find tickets. Also visit WQED-FM's cultural calendar to see the rest of the Academy String Quartet's upcoming concerts! DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Park artistic director, Jennifer Tober, musician and music director, Matt Calvetti, and writer and actor Charles David “Stoney” Richards, discuss with Anna Singer about the four's collaboration in PSiP's newest performance, Shakespeare: This Could Be True running Tuesday, April 23rd to Friday, April 26th, at the Union Trust Building downtown. Jennifer highlights the groups 20th anniversary this year, and Stoney talks about writing this show and how the idea came to him. Stoney and Matt also perform a small reading from the play, complete with acoustic guitar accompaniment. Anna highlights her role as the cockney-accented Nurse who closely resembles Nurse Ratchet. Visit https://www.pittsburghshakespeare.com/ to learn more and find tickets. DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Tenor opera singer, Jonathan Tetelman, spoke with WQED-FM from Carnegie Hall Studios about his recent Metropolitan Opera debut as Ruggero in La Rondine until April 20th, followed closely by Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly until May 11th. Jonathan discusses his emotions about the debut, the synopsis of La Rondine, and his recent album celebrating the 100th anniversary of Puccini's death. Hear and see Jonathan in La Rondine on Classical WQED-FM and in theaters on April 20th, and in Madama Butterfly on May 11th. Visit https://www.jonathantetelman.com/ to learn more.DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd

Board members with Friends of Mellon Park, Margy Whitmer and Board President, Cynthia Berger, spoke with Jim Cunningham about their annual Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, April 27th from 11 am to 2 pm. Margy highlights all the wonderful free activities available for children during the day, as well as the amazing food and music that will be available. Cynthia highlights this year's honoree, Joy Sato, who will have a tree planted in the park in her honor. Cynthia, Margy, and Jim all reminisce about Margy and other board member, Elizabeth Seamans, connection to WQED with Fred Rogers. Visit https://friendsofmellonpark.org/ to learn more about this free rain-or-shine event!DONATE NOW FOR PUBLIC MEDIA DAYS 2024 - MAY 1&2 - Have your donation matched DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR up to $15,000 PLUS receive a complimentary Mister Rogers vinyl sticker! Donate: www.wqed.org/pmgd