Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

As Music Director of the Erie Philharmonic and Artistic Director of the Westmoreland Symphony and Cleveland’s BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Meyer has reinvigorated orchestras with his innovative programs, engaging presence and keen musical intellect.  Recently named new Music Director of the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, Meyer took the helm of this historic summer music festival in July 2019.  In addition to working with world-renowned soloists such as Marc-André Hamelin, Sharon Isbin, Gil Shaham, Jeremy Denk, Daniil Trifonov, Midori, Edgar Meyer and Emanuel Ax, Meyer’s passion for connecting with audiences has led him to develop strong ties with audiences though frequent radio and television appearances, newspaper interviews, music talks, appearances in local schools, and speaking from the concert stage.

Meyer recently recorded the music of Hanson, Diamond, and Daugherty for the Bavarian Radio with the Bamberger Symphoniker.  In his role as Director of Orchestral Activities at Duquesne University, he continues a recording project of the concertos of Lynn Purse and collaborates with pianist David Allen Wehr and bass-baritone Guenko Guechev.  Recent guest appearances include the Detroit Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Portland Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, Württembergische Philharmonie, Staatsorchester Darmstadt, and the Nuremberg Symphony in Germany. 

In support of his longtime dedication to music education and community involvement, Meyer created Beethoven 4/4, a four-year project focusing on the life and works of the great composer with the Erie Philharmonic.  He also conducts new commissions with the Philharmonic this season including works by Michael Torke, Vivian Fung, and Zhou Tian.  As part of his highly-acclaimed tenure as Music Director of the Asheville Symphony, Meyer created the Asheville Amadeus Festival, featuring sold-out weeks of film, lectures, community events, and concerts centered around the music of Mozart and pianist Emmanuel Ax in 2015 and violinist Midori in 2017.  His critically acclaimed European debut took place with the Staatstheater Stuttgart Orchestra and violinist Thomas Zehetmaier, and he returned to Germany soon after for concerts with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, and to Austria with the Tonkünstler Orchestra in Vienna and the Wiener Jeunesse Orchestra.

Summer festival appearances have included the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom, the Aspen and Grand Teton Music Festivals, the Chautauqua Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Lakeside Chautauqua. ​Upon the invitation of Mariss Jansons, Meyer was named Resident Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony and Music Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, where he served until 2009. He worked closely with Manfred Honeck, Mariss Jansons, Sir Andrew Davis, and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, led the Pittsburgh Symphony on tour, and conducted performances with Pinchas Zukerman, Sarah Chang, and Marvin Hamlisch.  He also led the world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Pastime, a co-commission of the Pittsburgh and Atlanta Symphonies and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.

As Music Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, Meyer led the PYSO on their first ever tour to China and an international tour to Vienna, Prague, Leipzig and Budapest in programs including the world premieres of David Stock's Clarinet Concerto with soloist Richard Stoltzman, and John Harbison’s Mary Lou: Four Symphonic Memories of Mary Lou Williams.  A native of Cleveland, Mr. Meyer Studied conducting at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, and is a graduate of Denison University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He composed and conducted works for ensembles at both schools, including a Stabat Mater for soprano, chorus and orchestra. At Boston University, Mr. Meyer received the Orchestral Conducting Honors Award and was awarded the prestigious Aspen Conducting Prize from David Zinman.  He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Edinboro University in 2016.

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.

PBT School, the official training institution of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, is recognized as one of the nation’s finest schools for dance education and training. Under the direction of PBT School Dean Raymond Rodriguez, PBT School provides a diverse dance curriculum to students across its Children’s, Student, and Pre-Professional Divisions. Ranging from pre-ballet to pre-professional, PBT School fosters the expression, discipline, and joy of ballet at every level and cultivates the next generation of professional dancers. While students grow in their technique and artistry, PBT School works to instill a long-term appreciation for the art of ballet and the values it embodies.

Ashley Brown originated the title role in “Mary Poppins” on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress.  Ms. Brown also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour of Mary Poppins where she garnered a Garland award for “Best Performance in a Musical”. Ms. Brown’s other Broadway credits include Belle in "The Beauty and The Beast", and she has starred in the national tour of Disney's "On The Record".  Ms. Brown most recently starred as Mother Abbess in multiple Tony award winner Director Jack O’Brien’s new production of “The Sound of Music”.  Ms. Brown returned to critical acclaim starring in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of “Oklahoma”.   She previously played Magnolia opposite Nathan Gunn in Francesca Zembello’s “Showboat” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Ms. Brown has performed with virtually all of the top orchestras in North America including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at Disney Hall, The Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall (five times), Fort Worth Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra (two times), the Milwaukee Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony (three times), Seattle Symphony, the Houston Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Jacksonville (two times) and the Philly Pops. She has also performed with the BBC orchestra opposite Josh Groban.   Ms. Brown made her solo concert debut at The Kennedy Center as part of Barbara Cook’s Spotlight Series, and has appeared in New York City at prestigious venues including Feinstein’s at the Regency and Birdland.  Other projects include star turns in “The Golden Apple” at City Center Encores, “Hello Dolly” at The Goodspeed Opera House, “Sound of Music” at the St. Louis MUNY which garnered her a Kevin Kline award, “Limelight” at the La Jolla Playhouse,  and her own PBS special called “Ashley Brown: Call Me Irresponsible” which received a PBS Telly Award.  Other television credits include NBC’s “The Sound of Music”.  Ms. Brown is the voice of Disneyland celebrating its 60th anniversary singing the newly penned Richard Sherman song, “A Kiss Goodnight”.  Ms. Brown’s album of Broadway and American Songbook standards, “Speak Low” and her newly recorded Christmas EP “The Secret of Christmas” are  available on Ghostlight/Warner Brothers.  Ashley is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

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.