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

TSO @ 80!

May 24th, 2023

We preview and celebrate the upcoming season of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra as they mark 80 years of serving the community with great music.

Summer Music

May 17th, 2023

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 Sketch

Getting to Know a Kerson

May 10th, 2023

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 instru

The Art of Art

May 3rd, 2023

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

Yo-Yo Ma in Toledo

Apr 26th, 2023

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 conversatio

Cinderella

Apr 19th, 2023

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-

Parker plays Tchaikovsky

Apr 12th, 2023

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

Hangin' with Matt Catingub

Apr 5th, 2023

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

April's Fool

Mar 29th, 2023

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 n

Puccini Forever!

Mar 22nd, 2023

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 ou

Take the "A" Train

Mar 15th, 2023

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 an

Music in our Schools

Mar 8th, 2023

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 Pre

Classical Women

Mar 1st, 2023

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 Allianc

Flying Dancers

Feb 22nd, 2023

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 wi

Midori in Toledo

Feb 15th, 2023

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

Won't You Be Our Valentine?

Feb 8th, 2023

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 presen

Francophiles, Unite!

Feb 1st, 2023

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 cond

The Juliet Letters

Jan 25th, 2023

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 f

Mary Poppins!

Jan 18th, 2023

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 classi

Stewart Goodyear Returns

Jan 11th, 2023

We welcome dynamic pianist/composer Stewart Goodyear back to Toledo to perform his own music: the Caribbean-inspired dance suite for piano and orchestra, Callaloo. Not only do we hear what went into the creation of this saucy dish, we get to kn

New Year, New Faces 2023

Jan 4th, 2023

We continue our 2023 festivities with a "getting-to-know-you episode" featuring two recent additions to the Toledo Symphony family: Emily McCready (Marketing Manager at Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts) and Georgi Dimitrov (Associate Pri

A SymphonyLAB New Year!

Dec 28th, 2022

We ring in 2023 SymphonyLAB style with our predictions and resolutions — plus our favorite moments from the past year (and what we're looking forward to in 2023). And of course, it just wouldn't be a party without a quiz! Test your movie trivia

TSLAB at 200!

Dec 21st, 2022

In the midst of the Holidays, we find yet another reason to celebrate: Toledo SymphonyLAB's 200th episode! Our intrepid panel tests their TSLAB 101 as they take a walk down memory lane and talk about our favorite episodes from the past few year

A Swingin' Christmas

Dec 14th, 2022

It's A Swingin' Christmas as we welcome not one but two Scotts: Scott Lavender and Scott Potter, conductor and trumpeter/President respectively of the Toledo Jazz Orchestra. We hear the ensemble's backstory and open up the discussion with newly