Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

A native of Lucerne, Switzerland, Ludwig Wicki grew up immersed in church and folk music. He studied trombone and joined the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, later expanding into orchestral and choral conducting. After attending music school in Bern, he continued his studies in Dresden with Cantor Martin Flämig and in Pescara with Professor Donato Renzetti. During this time, he founded the Lucerne Philharmonic Brass Quintet and performed with the Empire Brass Quintet at Tanglewood. As a baroque trombonist, he worked with period instrument ensembles, collaborating with artists such as Andrew Parrott, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Jeremy West, and Simon Standage.

As Chorus Master of Lucerne Abbey Court Church, he explores repertoire from Gregorian chant to contemporary sacred music, focusing on classical and Baroque masters. He also directs the Renaissance Ensemble "Il Dolcimelo."

In 1999, Maestro Wicki founded the 21st Century Orchestra Lucerne, dedicated to film music. He has led world premieres of live-to-film performances including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator, Fantasia, Titanic, Indiana Jones, Amadeus, Aliens, The English Patient, and Baahubali, in cities such as London, New York, Paris, and Sydney.

He conducted film score recordings for Jupiter Ascending, The Book of Henry, Jurassic World 2, and Pieces of a Woman. Wicki has taught chamber music and conducting in Lucerne and Bern. He was honored by Lucerne in 2007 and received the Award for Excellence in Cultural Creativity from the Global Thinkers Forum in 2013.

 

Pittsburgh Youth Chorus is a collective of young people who have been empowered and inspired by the joy of singing. Led by a dedicated staff of choral professionals who specialize in the young voice, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus (PYC) serves the region through exceptional choral music education and artistry. With opportunities for singers ages 6-18 – and with a focus on personal development, community engagement, travel, and cultural exchange – PYC’s multi-faceted programing is celebrated for its ability to nurture the potential of its participants while fostering confidence, dedication, and a sense of belonging.

Through professional-level choral education and performance, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus strives to provide opportunities for a diverse group of children to realize their innate artistic potential and share experiences that enrich their lives while benefiting their families and communities.

PYC made its debut in 1983, joining the forces of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Mahler’s Third Symphony. As the fledgling chorus grew, as did its list of collaborators – Pittsburgh Opera, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Public Theater have all shared the stage with the group’s young musicians. PYC has also hosted artists of international acclaim, such as Kim Nazarian of New York Voices, Joe Negri (best known for his work on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood), the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble, and Elisabeth von Trapp. Beyond its home in western PA, Pittsburgh Youth Chorus has taken young singers to Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Oregon, and the United Kingdom. Upcoming highlights include a trip to Denver, CO in June 2020 and the opportunity to host Dr. Raymond Wise, gospel music specialist from Indiana University Bloomington, in October 2020.

The magic of PYC is in the relationships – bonds between the young singers that rise from making music together, and then transforms the music-making into a powerful and meaningful experience. Countless families have attested to how their lives have been touched as a result of being a part of the PYC family. Pittsburgh Youth Chorus is proud of its singers – past and present – and eager to continue serving our communities with programs that invest in the region’s cultural landscape and future leaders.

Audiences and critics alike have praised The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh’s programming, saying, “EXCEPTIONAL and MEMORABLE… I’m still talking about it,” “One of the finest music events I have ever attended,” and “the Mendelssohn never ceases to amaze me… This city should be proud of its choir” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). 

Critically acclaimed as one of the finest choruses in the country, MCP is the “voice of the greater Pittsburgh region” — whether premiering a choral work composed by Stewart Copeland of The Police at a rock venue, or performing Mozart with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Unlike other professional arts organizations, MCP is proudly comprised of mostly amateur singers with professional-caliber talent, whose day jobs vary from postal clerk to physician to casino card dealer. MCP singers give generously of their talent, passion, and commitment to share the magic of live music with the widest possible audience, within Heinz Hall and throughout the community. 

For more than a century, MCP has proudly partnered with the PSO as its “chorus of choice,” bringing the joys of symphonic choral music to tens of thousands of people each year. MCP has performed under the batons of world-renowned conductors, including Lorin Maazel, Mariss Jansons, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Michael Tilson Thomas, Claudio Abbado, Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit, André Previn, Sir Neville Marriner, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Helmuth Rilling, Ingo Metzmacher, Richard Hickox, Zdenek Mácal, and Manfred Honeck.

MCP embraces its long legacy of performances, recordings, and commissions that reimagine choral music for today’s audiences and bring bold, unique programming to the Pittsburgh region, such as the recent world premieres of Satan’s Fall by the Police’s Stewart Copeland and The Times They Are A-Changin’ by composer and conductor Steve Hackman. Under the leadership of its new Robert Page Music Director Daniel Singer, MCP looks forward to continuing its tradition of excellence while seeking innovative ways to encourage broader community participation in MCP as singers and as members of the audience. 

MCP fosters the next generation of choral singers and audience members through its educational program, the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (JMCP). Founded in 1986, JMCP is the region’s premier high school choral training and performance program. Annually, JMCP attracts singers from more than a dozen school districts, providing youth with a challenging musical environment in which to develop their skills and encouraging them to be lifelong participants in the arts.

For over two decades, the otherworldly vocals of Kaitlyn Lusk have transported audiences and earned international acclaim. She made her debut at age 14 as the youngest guest artist with the Boston Pops, launching a career defined by versatility, vocal power, and emotional depth. Her close connection to The Lord of the Rings began when she was invited by composer Howard Shore to perform “Into The West” at the Grammy Honors in New York. Since then, she has toured globally as the featured soloist in The Lord of the Rings Live to Projection, becoming the voice of one of the most beloved film concert experiences of all time.

Praised as a “silver-tongued soloist” with a “transcendent aura,” her performances have moved audiences at Radio City Music Hall, Royal Albert Hall, the Concertgebouw, Maggio Musicale, and the Sydney Opera House. The LA Times hailed her “flawless, awe-inspiring” voice in a performance of May It Be.

Lusk’s genre-spanning work includes Gladiator Live, Titanic Live, and Western Music in Concert, as well as her acclaimed solo productions FilmSong and Dreams Really Do Come True, an homage to Judy Garland. She appears on multiple live albums, including The Lord of the Rings Symphony (BR Klassik).

A proud Penn State alum, she has also served as keynote Guest Artist at Berklee College of Music's annual gala and continues to lead masterclasses around the world, sharing her passion for vocal performance with the next generation.