Inside Perspective

MBA Network Night at Carnegie Hall - Blog Host Kevin

On Thursday evening, March 27th at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra welcomed the MBA Network.  Before the concert, students, faculty, board members and alumni of Pittsburgh's top Business Schools joined together for a networking opportunity.  The event was collectively supported by the Deans of Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business, Duquesne University's AJ Palumbo School of Business Administration, Robert Morris University's School of Business and University of Pittsburgh's Katz School of Business. 

Andres Cardenes at Lynn University Masterclass - Blog Host Kevin

Andrés Càrdenes represented the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on February 29, 2008 while giving a masterclass at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. Several violinists from the Lynn University Conservatory of Music performed for Andrés in the Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall within the deHoernle International Center. The class was offered to the students of Lynn University, as well as to members of the Palm Beach area community, in order to broaden the reach of the PSO to aspiring violin students.

Josh Bell and John Corigliano - Blog Host Kevin

A picture says a thousand words...

Percussion fun backstage! - Blog Host Jonathan

We're doing the full version of Stravinsky's Firebird this weekend and one of the joys of hearing (and seeing) the full ballet score is the huge array of instruments employed. The stage is packed - especially with percussion instruments.  In fact, there's one instrument that can't even fit on the stage:

Percussionist, Chris Allen, has to leave the stage during the middle of the piece and... wait for it... climb a ladder in order to reach the top of the 9ft+ chimes.

Off-stage instruments aren't that uncommon in symphonic repertoire, but I'm pretty sure I've ever seen "stage-hand's ladder'" marked in a score before.

Our brave percussionist climbs to the top and then uses the conductor-cam (click to enlarge image) to follow Maestro Noseda's directions and play at exactly the right moment.

All in a day's work for a PSO percussionist, and not without a little back-stage humor (and the mandatory pre-rehearsal coffee) :)

You May Have Noticed. . . - Blog Host Jonathan

Those regular readers of the PSO blogs may have noticed a couple of additions over the past week or two...

We're delighted to have on board our soon-to-be Music Director and Principal Guest Conductor.  The 2008-2009 season (just under a year from now) will see Manfred Honeck and Leonard Slatkin take up those positions with our orchestra and we're very very excited about it.  I'm personally even more excited that they'll be contributing to our blogs, Manfred via email and Leonard via his own website (see their first posts here and here)!

Expect to see posts on a monthly basis, detailing what the maestri (or is it 'maestros'? Answers on a post-card!) have been up to and where in the world they are.  As ever, feel free to post your questions and comments for them and our other Pittsburgh Symphony Bloggers.

Now, I'm off to enjoy the end of the rehearsal of Sibelius' violin concerto with Nikolaj Znaider.  Brilliant!

Back to School - Blog Host Kevin

This past Friday, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra opened another year of the Mellon Grand Classics, and for me, it was a little like going back to school.  Watching the musicians come back for another season reminded me of students unpacking their bags and moving into the dormitory for another year, all the while greeting friends they hadn't seen for many weeks, sharing stories of their summers, and looking eager to play again.  There was a palpable anticipation.

While the conductor's away, musicians (and staff) will play - Blog Host Jonathan

What do some of us here at the PSO choose to do when the summer rolls around?

Dragon boating :)

More photos and details below...

The joys of Beethoven's Ninth - Blog Host Jonathan

There's nothing quite like sneaking into the evening rehearsal of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony just as the chorus is winding up to blast out "Götterfunken, götterfunken, götterfunken, Gööötteeeeer fuuuuuuuuuuuunken".

Wow!

Hope you're in town this weekend to come and hear it for yourself :)

This one's very definitely worthy of the link... - Blog Host Jonathan

Great post over on Andy Druckenbrod's blog in reference to this weekend's concerts...

This picture may give it away to some folks - if not, read his blog, and also take the time to read his excellent preview piece in the Post-Gazette.

I Want to Pet the Penguin - Blog Host Jeff

There is a lot of excitement in the hall this week as we prepare for the second to last Mellon Grand Classics weekend of the season. This concert set features, really, only one piece, Messiaen’s rarely played Turangalila Symphonie.