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.

Melinda Doolittle became a household name during season six of American Idol in 2007. She came in third in the voting, first with Simon Cowell calling her his “personal favorite” and quickly became the sweetheart of American Idol winning over the hearts of all with her stunning powerhouse vocals and her personal charm.

In 2009, Doolittle released her debut album Coming Back to You garnering rave reviews from critics, including The New York Times, which hailed her as one of the most “phenomenally gifted” singers in years. In 2013, she released her sophomore album You’re The Reason giving fans yet another opportunity to hear her impeccable vocals and revealing a bit more of her personality. People Magazine stating, “Her voice is a slinky purr then a mighty growl that will keep you coming back for more.” In the middle of her album releases, she penned her book Beyond Me: Finding Your Way to Life's Next Level. Melinda was also the well-loved co-host of TV Line’s Reality Check.

Doolittle continues to thrill audiences everywhere from the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame to The White House, from the Copa Room to Carnegie Hall. In addition, she has been a featured guest with the Boston Pops, Charlotte Symphony and United States Air Force Orchestra to name a few, including a featured performer at the 2015 Boston Pops Fourth of July Spectacular. She is currently headlining her own soulful show Great American Soul Book.

In thankfulness for all she has been given, Doolittle gives back to these amazing organizations: People Loving Nashville, Timothy’s Gift, Porter’s Call, The Task Force, and numerous more.

Christopher is an award-winning actor and singer, who has performed in venues around the world.  Most recently he received critical acclaim for playing Daddy Warbucks (Annie) with Sally Struthers and for reprising his powerful performance of Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha).  Over the years he had the pleasure of performing with George Hearn, Edde Mekka, Roddy McDowell, Carol Lawrence, John Raitt, Debbie Boone and Rosemary Clooney. Additional theatrical credits include; Georges (La Cage aux Folles), Frollo (Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame), Sweeney Todd (Sweeny Todd), Javert (Les Miserables), Emile (South Pacific), Captain von Trapp (Sound of Music), Sky Masterson (Guys and Dolls), Fred/Petruchio (Kiss Me Kate), Jekyll/Hyde (Jekyll and Hyde), Beast (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), Frank Butler (Annie Get Your Gun), Juan Peron (Evita), Phantom (Phantom of the Opera), and Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf (Into The Woods).  Concert engagements; Pittsburgh Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Pasadena Pops, and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the National Theatre and Concert Hall Taiwan. Christopher tours the country as the baritone for the legendary 1940’s singing group – The Pied Pipers.  In 2001, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame along with the Bee Gees and The Eagles. Christopher’s solo CD - Curtain Call is available on iTunes and CDBaby.com.  www.christophersanders.net

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.