Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world’s finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), André Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” in 1944 and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. Its “Pittsburgh Live!” series with Reference Recordings has resulted in back-to-back Grammy Award nominations in 2015 and 2016. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony radio broadcasts aired nationally and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series “Previn and the Pittsburgh.” Since 1982, the orchestra has been heard through national network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. At home in historic Heinz Hall, the Pittsburgh Symphony offers a variety of musical experiences, including its BNY Mellon Grand Classics and PNC Pops series, FUSE@PSO series, Fiddlesticks Family Concerts series, specials, and numerous community engagement and education concerts throughout the region. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900 — including international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America—the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras.www.pittsburghsymphony.org
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Search complete. 64 mentions across 29 episodes found for "Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra".
Sep 11, 2026
speaker_0NARRATOR
Jim Cunningham had many interviews yesterday, and this is a montage of voices from the final day in Vienna.
speaker_0NARRATOR
We'll hear from Francisco Bernard, who's the second bassoonist of the Louisville Orchestra, Alexander Kantaroff, who was the piano soloist throughout the tour, Mary Person, who is the vice president of artistic planning of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Gus Fauché, who's the chief economist for PNC Bank.
speaker_0NARRATOR
Alexis Turbovich, a student at the Central European University in Vienna.
speaker_0NARRATOR
She was a former intern here at WQED-FM.
10 MINS LATER
speaker_0NARRATOR
And before that, we heard from the second bassoonist of the Louisville Orchestra, Francisco Bernard.
speaker_0NARRATOR
Alexander Kantoroff, who played the Brahms Piano Concerto again last night.
speaker_0NARRATOR
And then Mary Person, who's the vice president of artistic planning of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
speaker_0NARRATOR
Gus Fauché, the chief economist for PNC Bank.
Brian SavarHOST
That is the Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich, which was the final piece in this concert by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Vienna.
Brian SavarHOST
The final note from this 2026 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra European Tour is faded within the concert house in Vienna, which is where Jim is currently.
Brian SavarHOST
Jim, great to hear from you.
Brian SavarHOST
And what was the audience reaction to this final concert of the tour?
6 MINS LATER
David McCarrollGUEST
But it's been a wonderful tour.
David McCarrollGUEST
You can be proud of your orchestra.
Brian SavarHOST
The voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, David McCarroll, who talked to Jim Cunningham in Essen, Germany.
Brian SavarHOST
The tour has wrapped up.
Brian SavarHOST
And good Thursday evening.
Brian SavarHOST
Brian Sejvar with you, and it has been a very busy day for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as they traveled to Vienna, and then they had a concert tonight, and then there was a post-concert event that, uh, our very own Jim Cunningham will tell us about as he is on the air live from Vienna.
Brian SavarHOST
Guten Abend, Jim.
Jim CunninghamCORRESPONDENT
Guten Abend, Brian.
6 MINS LATER
Zachary SmithGUEST
And so that's really gotta be the focus.
Zachary SmithGUEST
So today we'll walk around, we'll hydrate, we'll make sure we take care of ourselves, but the bottom line is be ready tonight to play the best concert that we can play.
Brian SavarHOST
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra member Zachary Smith and his wife, and, uh, he mentioned there it's a lot of work, and, uh, it is, uh, coming to a close, fortunately for all the musicians, unfortunately for the music-making.
Brian SavarHOST
But, uh, it has been a kind of a rough, grueling tour, but, uh, you have one more concert.
Brian SavarHOST
It is time now for our early QED morning report from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Brian SavarHOST
Last night, their concert took place at the Philharmonie in Essen, Germany, with Manfred Honeck and Alexander Kantorow.
Brian SavarHOST
The program included John Adams again, the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, and the Dvorak Symphony Number Nine from the New World.
6 MINS LATER
Jim CunninghamCORRESPONDENT
Wonderful.
Anne Martindale WilliamsGUEST
And, uh, we're just, just, I'm just so blessed to have had this wonderful career with this incredible orchestra.
Brian SavarHOST
Jim Cunningham and speaking with principal cellist Anne Martindale Williams, who is retiring after 50 years with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Brian SavarHOST
This wonderful tour that has been taking place, of course, on their way to Vienna.
Brian SavarHOST
Tonight, the Vienna Konzerthaus with Manfred Honeck, the music of John Adams, the Barber Violin Concerto, Augustin Hadelich, the soloist, and the Dvorak Symphony Number Nine from the New World.
Manfred HoneckGUEST
It's something very special.
Julie AmacherHOST
Manfred Honeck is the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Julie AmacherHOST
At the end of his new six-year contract, he will have been with them for 25 years, the longest-serving conductor in the orchestra's history.
Julie AmacherHOST
He's earned two Grammy Awards with this ensemble, and they recently released their newest recording.
speaker_0HOST
Well, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is on their way to Essen, Germany, where they will give a concert tonight.
speaker_0HOST
And Jim Cunningham is currently on a bus, so he's unavailable to call in.
speaker_0HOST
But last night he was there in Amsterdam with the concert at the Concertkabal, and he managed to talk to a couple people who attended the concert and were supporters of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
speaker_0HOST
He sent those interviews my way, and here is a little montage of some reaction from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam last night.
speaker_0HOST
¦
Jim CunninghamCORRESPONDENT
All right, Mr. Rakoff, will you please tell me what you thought of the concert tonight? How did it go?
6 MINS LATER
speaker_0HOST
He's now living in Amsterdam.
speaker_0HOST
And finally, you heard Christopher Wu.
Brian SavarHOST
And that is where Jim Cunningham is at the moment.
Brian SavarHOST
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra just concluded their concert in the Philharmonie there with Manfred Honeck conducting John Adams and Sergei Rachmaninoff and Antonin Dvorak.
Brian SavarHOST
And Jim Cunningham is joining me now live from Essen.
Brian SavarHOST
Good morning, Jim.
Jim CunninghamHOST
So great.
Jim CunninghamHOST
Have you had a chance to speak with Ann Martindale Williams, your teacher? You know, she's retiring after a long career with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Nicole MyersGUEST
I heard the rumor that she might be retiring.
Nicole MyersGUEST
And just to think about her career and her teaching career and her career with the Pittsburgh Symphony, she is such an icon in Pittsburgh.
Nicole MyersGUEST
And it's sad that she's retiring, but she will have a well-deserved retirement.
Nicole MyersGUEST
And I'm sure she'll be just, you know, when you think of Pittsburgh cello, you think of Ann Martindale Williams.
Brian SavarHOST
[orchestral music] [audience applauding] That was the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra playing the ending of the Four Black American Dances by Carlos Simon at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam just moments ago.
Brian SavarHOST
We actually have on the line from Amsterdam right now our very own Jim Cunningham.
Brian SavarHOST
Good evening for you, Jim.
Brian SavarHOST
Well, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra plays in Amsterdam tonight, and our very own Jim Cunningham is there with some special guests as well.
Brian SavarHOST
And Jim, hello, and happy Labor Day from the States to Amsterdam.
Jim CunninghamCORRESPONDENT
Happy Labor Day to you, Brian Savar.
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