Touchstone Award Winner - Best Single Radio Report 2022, Best Radio Show 2020, Best Radio Show 2019, Best Broadcast Radio 2018 Toledo SymphonyLAB™ is an award-winning radio podcast series from WGTE Public Media in collaboration with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, providing a weekly half-hour behind-the-scenes look at the world of classical music. Every week, host Brad Cresswell and TSO personalities explore a theme inspired by a concert or other event from the symphony's season. With lively discussion, quizzes, and even audio "re-enactments" of historical events, Toledo SymphonyLAB™ seeks to bring a pop culture aesthetic to the storied world of classical music. In addition to our regular panelists, the program often features special appearances by guest soloists, members of the TSO, and TSO Music Director Alain Trudel.
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Touchstone Award Winner - Best Single Radio Report 2022, Best Radio Show 2020, Best Radio Show 2019, Best Broadcast Radio 2018 Toledo SymphonyLAB™ is an award-winning radio podcast series from WGTE Public Media in collaboration with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, providing a weekly half-hour behind-the-scenes look at the world of classical music. Every week, host Brad Cresswell and TSO personalities explore a theme inspired by a concert or other event from the symphony's season. With lively discussion, quizzes, and even audio "re-enactments" of historical events, Toledo SymphonyLAB™ seeks to bring a pop culture aesthetic to the storied world of classical music. In addition to our regular panelists, the program often features special appearances by guest soloists, members of the TSO, and TSO Music Director Alain Trudel.
In our final episode of Toledo SymphonyLAB, we once again dive into the music of Gustav Mahler - whose Third Symphony brings the TSO season to a close. Special return guest (and musicologist) Effie Papanikolaou shines light both on the man and the music, joining conductor Alain Trudel and Mahler enthusiast Zak Vassar (who also happens to be the TSO's President and CEO).
We welcome warmer weather with a preview of the Toledo Symphony's chamber program, Summer Music. In addition to seasonal selections from Samuel Barber and Wolfgang Mozart, we learn all about a world premiere on the program, called Mojave Sketches for brass quintet and percussion. The composer, Navdeep Singh Galen, plus one of the performers, TSO Principal Tuba David Saltzman, give valuable insight to the work, which was inspired by the seven magic mountains art installation in California's Mojave desert.
We spend the hour getting to know Kerson Leong, who brings his violin to the Peristyle as soloist for Béla Bartók's Second Violin Concerto. Kerson leads us through the intricacies of Bartók's music, and recounts his early interest in the instrument (that is, after his parents discouraged Kerson's original choice, the double-bass - fearing transportation issues). And for our quiz of the day, we check in with Kerson's updated answers to the Violin Channel's Q&A (available on YouTube) from 2016.
As the Toledo Jazz Orchestra offers up its final performance of the season, we take the opportunity to examine the complex and virtuosic artistry of Toledo's own Art Tatum. We hear behind-the-scenes stories and marvel at Tatum's uncanny ability to transform simple melodies into one-of-a-kind showpieces for piano. We also uncover some fun facts which you may not know about Toledo's Jazz maestro in our quiz of the day!
We celebrate the return of superstar cellist Yo-Yo Ma to the Peristyle with a full house of Toledo Symphony personalities, including special guest Amy Chang (who is also a cellist). Hear stories and get to know Yo-Yo Ma through our conversation (and "Quiz"-versation), as he's not only a performing artist, but a driving force in the effort to use music to address global issues. Also, not to be forgotten is Johannes Brahms, whose final symphony pairs nicely with Yo-Yo Ma's rendition of the Elgar Cello Concerto on the program. Find out what these seemingly disparate works have in common with each other!
We highlight the Toledo Ballet's production of Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella with guest appearances from the show's choreographer Eric Otto and the conductor of the program Jonathan McPhee. Think you know your Cinderella? Find out in our Fairy-Tale Quiz of the Day!
We delve into the wonderful wide world of Dimitri Shostakovich and his powerhouse Symphony No. 5 (which the TSO plays this weekend!). Also, we welcome the star of the show, Canadian pianist Jon Kimura Parker, who makes his Toledo Symphony debut with one of the most beloved concertos of its kind, the "Tchaik I" - a.k.a. Piotr Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto. And Did You Know? Jon Kimura Parker goes by the nickname "Jackie" when offstage. We'll explore some other well-known "Jackies" in our quiz of the day!
We spend the hour with arranger, composer, Big Band leader, Pops conductor, pianist, saxophonist, and (whew!) vocalist, Matt Catingub – who brings his talents to the Peristyle with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra. Get to know Matt as he talks about his mother, the singer Mavis Rivers (who signed on with Frank Sinatra's label in the late '60s), tells stories and drops names (George Clooney and Toni Tennille among them). Plus, we uncover some "Frank Facts" in our quiz of the day for the Sinatraphiles in our audience!
It's our April Fools Day special, as hilarity ensues with special guests Tony Geftos and Derek Emch joining us in the studio. Learn about our favorite pranks, hear some fake news reports (thank you, Tony!), and play "one true, two false" with newspaper headlines. Care to test your trivia knowledge? Try our quiz about the many shades of April. Listen in and celebrate the time of year when we all say, "April Fools!"
It's opera enthusiast time, as we welcome tenor Zach Borichevsky by phone to talk about his upcoming Puccini extravaganza at Rosary Cathedral with the TSO. We also take the opportunity to get to know Zach and his Toledo history, plus we nerd out on great tenors in our "drop-the-needle-and-name-that-tenor" quiz. What makes a singer great? Listen and find out!
It's a one-on-one between TSO Music Director Alain Trudel and WGTE's Brad Cresswell, as they preview the Toledo Jazz Orchestra's concert on March 23rd. The concert throws a spotlight on Jazz at Lincoln Center, with charts from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, including some of their most popular songs. We also dig into Alain's dual life as classical conductor and jazz trombonist - and how the two complement each other. And even though it isn't really fair with just one contestant, we do have a quiz: Who Wrote It? Ellington, Strayhorn, both, or neither? Come find out!
We celebrate Music in our Schools month with an overview of educational activities from the Toledo Symphony, and get to know the TSO's latest addition: Community Engagement Coordinator Ellie Lee. Joining in the discussion is the TSO's Vice President (complete with fanfare) of Education & Community Engagement, Rachel Schultz. So you think you're familiar with great educators in history? Find out in our quiz of the day!
Get to know mezzo-soprano Nina Yoshida Nelsen, who solos with the Toledo Symphony in songs by Alma Mahler. We hear Nina's story (that's pronounced NIGH-na by the way), and we learn about her activism and work in creating the Asian Opera Alliance, which advocates for greater representation of Asian voices both on the stage and behind the curtain. And later on, test your knowledge of women pioneers throughout history in our "Female Firsts" quiz!
Classical and Hip-Hop collide in this episode, which features special guest Jorge Casco, Executive Director of the Fly Dance Company. Fly Dance joins the Toledo Symphony for one performance only, combining the visceral energy of street dance with the most popular tunes from the classical repertoire. Jorge provides a behind-the-scenes look at how the Fly Dance Company does this, and how they pique the interest of young people in a whole new world that is at once familiar and yet unknown to them. And don't forget to join our panelists as they match wits in our quiz of the day, covering classical, hip-hop, and street dance!
As the excitement builds for superstar violinist Midori with the Toledo Symphony, we offer a one-on-one with TSO Music Director Alain Trudel who gives expert insight into the program, including the piece that Midori brings to the Peristyle: the beloved Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Listen in, learn all about the music on the concert — and even test your Midori I.Q. with our quiz of the day (spoiler: Alain wins!).
It's our Valentine's Day special, SymphonyLAB style! Join us for sweet radio bon-bons and other auditory treats as we swap stories and learn about the many facets of love in our Jeopardy-themed quiz of the day. And as our gift to you, we present a special radio play – but with a twist! For the first time in TSLAB history, we turn to artificial intelligence to script our play: the new ChatGPT from Open AI. In the words of our simulated playwright, "Be sure to get your Love-a-Tron 9000 today!"
We take a look at the Toledo Symphony's all-French program, with special guest Mélisande McNabney, who solos in Francis Poulenc's harpsichord concerto at the Peristyle. Also joining us a bit later in the program is the Grammy award-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta, who provides insight into the music on the concert, which she leads with the TSO. And don't forget our quiz of the day as we test our panelists' knowledge of French composer facts! Photo of Mélisande McNabney by Matthew Perrin Photography
In this episode, we welcome soprano and arts administrator Mickey Emch back to the fold. Mickey is the vocal soloist for Elvis Costello's classical-esque take on one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, The Juliet Letters. We'll examine the music from this concert, including Beethoven's first string quartet and music for brass trio by Canadian composer Elizabeth Raum (who is also a friend and colleague of TSO Music Director Alain Trudel). And taking our cue from Beethoven's "first" in the quartet genre, we focus our quiz on various composer's very first published works.
We gear up for one of the most exciting family-friendly events of the season: Mary Poppins in Concert with the Toledo Symphony! Guest Conductor Daniel Meyer provides a glimpse behind the curtain of what it takes to bring this Disney film classic to life on the stage of the Stranahan Theater. We'll get to know Daniel inside and out, and of course, we'll test our Mary Poppins I.Q. with the quiz of the day. Tune in for a jolly 'oliday of a show!
Touchstone Award Winner - Best Single Radio Report 2022, Best Radio Show 2020, Best Radio Show 2019, Best Broadcast Radio 2018 Toledo SymphonyLAB™ is an award-winning radio podcast series from WGTE Public Media in collaboration with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, providing a weekly half-hour behind-the-scenes look at the world of classical music. Every week, host Brad Cresswell and TSO personalities explore a theme inspired by a concert or other event from the symphony's season. With lively discussion, quizzes, and even audio "re-enactments" of historical events, Toledo SymphonyLAB™ seeks to bring a pop culture aesthetic to the storied world of classical music. In addition to our regular panelists, the program often features special appearances by guest soloists, members of the TSO, and TSO Music Director Alain Trudel.
