Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra biography

THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Now in its 126th season, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is credited with a rich history of engaging the world’s finest conductors and musicians and demonstrates a genuine commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Known for its artistic excellence for more than a century, the Pittsburgh Symphony has been led by its worldwide acclaimed Music Director Manfred Honeck since 2008; past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), André Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1997-2004).

The Pittsburgh Symphony is continually at the forefront of championing new American works. The Orchestra premiered Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” in 1944, John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986, and Mason Bates’ Resurrexit in 2018 to celebrate Manfred Honeck’s 60th birthday.

The two-time 2018 GRAMMY® Awardwinning orchestra has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and live radio broadcasts. Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have received multiple GRAMMY® nominations for Best Orchestral Performance, taking home the award in 2018 for their recording of Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony has been broadcast on the radio. The orchestra has received increased attention since 1982 through national network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Lauded as the Pittsburgh region’s international cultural ambassador, the orchestra began regular touring in 1896 and has embarked on scores of domestic and international tours. In 2019, Music Director Manfred Honeck led the orchestra on an extensive tour of Europe, the 25th in orchestra history.

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FRITZ KREISLER

Fritz Kreisler [1875-1962] first performed with the Pittsburgh Orchestra in its sixth season on November 30 and December 1, 1900 with Victor Herbert conducting. Kreisler is recognized as one of the violin greats of the twentieth century. Composer Edward Elgar wrote his Violin Concerto for Kreisler, which he premiered in 1910. Over a span of 48 years, Kreisler’s appearances with the Symphony included performances of works by Beethoven, Bach, Bruch, Lalo, and Mendelssohn, but not this famously difficult work by Elgar.

While born in New York, violinist Yehudi Menuhin [1916-1999] spent much of his professional life in Britain. In 1943, Menuhin, an admirer of Béla Bartók, commissioned a solo violin sonata from the composer. Menuhin premiered the piece in November of 1944 in New York. Two weeks later, Menuhin performed another Bartók work for violin, his Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra with the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Music Director Dr. Fritz Reiner, who was a long-time friend of the composer. In total, Menuhin joined the Pittsburgh Symphony for 24 concerts. His last performance with the PSO took place in March 1982 with Michael Tilson Thomas as guest conductor.

JASCHA HEIFETZ

Jascha Heifetz [1901-1987] was a child virtuoso, impressing violin great Fritz Kreisler. He performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony as guest soloist under conductors Dr. Fritz Reiner, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Paray, and Dr. William Steinberg. Heifetz twice performed Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra with the Pittsburgh Symphony, at a concert weekend in February 1943 and again in January 1954.

YEHUDI MENUHIN

NATHAN MILSTEIN

Nathan Milstein [1904-1992] was another child violin virtuoso. With a career spanning seven decades, Milstein received numerous commendations, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987. In the 1950s, Milstein recorded frequently with the Pittsburgh Symphony. He was the featured soloist on multiple albums with the PSO, performing violin concertos by Beethoven, Dvořák, Glazunov, Bruch, and Mendelssohn. Milstein and the PSO recorded Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in 1959 at the Syria Mosque.

Today, the Pittsburgh Symphony celebrates with violinist Joshua Bell. With his return to the Heinz Hall stage, Bell yet again joins a prestigious list of famous guest violinists to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony.

GEORGE ENESCO

George Enesco [1881-1955] performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony as guest soloist and conductor six times between 1933 and 1949. He was to have conducted another pair of concerts in early February 1938. However, the New York Philharmonic asked if Pittsburgh would instead allow him to fill in as their conductor at the last minute. The PSO agreed as a favor and thank you to New York for their assistance with the PSO’s recent auditions in New York City. Dr. Fritz Reiner, soon to be the PSO’s new Music Director, conducted the concert weekend in Enesco’s place.

A few years after Enesco’s death in 1955, a festival was established in his name to celebrate the composer, conductor, and violinist. During the PSO’s 2013 European tour, the Pittsburgh Symphony, conducted by Manfred Honeck, made its first appearance at the George Enescu Festival in Bucharest.

JOSEPH FUCHS

Joseph Fuchs [1900-1997], an American violin virtuoso, was the fourth concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra and on the faculty of Juilliard. He performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony twice, in April 1959 and in October 1960. With a grant from the Ford Foundation, Fuchs commissioned composer Walter Piston to write Violin Concerto No. 2. The world premiere of the piece was performed by Fuchs with the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Dr. William Steinberg at the October 1960 concerts in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra took the work on its 1964 European tour, performing the concerto in Iran, Poland, Spain, and Iceland.

ISAAC STERN

Isaac Stern [1920-2001] first performed with the PSO in April 1946 conducted by Music Director Dr. Fritz Reiner. During the course of his career, Stern joined the Symphony for over 70 concerts, including three concerts at Carnegie Hall and a benefit concert in 1969 at the Penn Theater just prior to its renovation into Heinz Hall. In 1977, Stern recorded an album with the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Music Director André Previn. The recording featured Rochberg’s Violin Concerto, which had been commissioned in memory of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette music critic Donald Steinfirst. Stern and the PSO performed the world premiere of Rochberg’s work in April 1975 in Pittsburgh before performing the piece in Carnegie Hall 11 days later.

Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra share a mutual commitment to enriching the arts and furthering arts education in the Pittsburgh community. We are proud of the many Carnegie Mellon faculty who demonstrate this shared commitment by educating our students and performing for our community. Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on the Symphony of Bridges Gala Opening Night 2022.

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YOUR GALA SPONSORSHIP HELPS TO FUND THE PSO’S LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, IMPACTING MORE THAN 30,000 CHILDREN AND ADULTS EACH YEAR.

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Deloitte is proud to support the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and their vision of bringing Great Music into Every Life. Together, we can make a difference that matters in our community.

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GIVING THANKS FOR A GREAT ORCHESTRA, A LOVELY CITY, AND GRANDKIDS WHO KEEP US SMILING - JANET & ROBERT SQUIRES

WISHING MAESTRO MANFRED HONECK AND THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANOTHER YEAR OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AND WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCES! AMY & SEAN SEBASTIAN

Pittsburgh Symphony Gala: 5.0” x 3.875”

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