News Around the Neighborhood
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Returns to Alphabet City
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Presents
East Meets West: Influences of China on U.S. Art
Thursday, January 24th 7:00 pm
Join musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for East Meets West: Influences of China on U.S. Art, a program celebrating the eclectic work of Chinese composer Qigang Chen and Chinese poet Huang Xiang. Qigang Chen is one of the most performed living composers in the world. A teenager and musical prodigy during China’s Cultural Revolution, he spent three years imprisoned, undergoing an “ideological reeducation.” Yet in spite of censorship and anti-cultural policy, he pursued his training in composition both within and outside of China, eventually garnering world-wide acclaim.
Hosted by conductor Earl Lee, this program will feature PSO musicians Adam Liu (Cello), Ellen Chen-Livingston (Violin) and Rodrigo Ojeda (Piano) playing selections from composer Qiguang Chen’s repertoire. Lee will contextualize the program’s music with a discussion on Chen’s unique character, identity, and social activism–as well as on the Chinese influence on Western art.
A video montage will give audiences a glimpse into Huang Xiang’s life and work, the “publication” of House Poem, and how he has shaped COA into the organization it is today. Local writers Brandon Fury and Lori Beth Jones will interpret Huang Xiang’s poetry in English in a live performance so that audiences can enjoy the full scale of emotion evoked by his words.
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More EMS Coverage on the Northside
I have some wonderful news to share. The Councilwoman, who for years has argued that the North Side needs to have more than one ambulance available overnight has finally gotten her wish. Medics 4 & 10 will now be activated 24/7, meaning the District and the entire North Side will have two ambulances available around the clock. Please inform your community members of this wonderful public safety development.
Thank you and have a wonderful holiday season!
Sincerely,
Jeff Martin
Constituent Services Director
Office of Councilwoman Darlene M. Harris
Oscar-Nominated Animated Feature
Sembène – The Film & Art Festival Presents
The Breadwinner
Saturday, January 5th
3:00 pm
The Breadwinner is an Academy Award and Golden Globe animated feature nominee. It tells the story of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl growing up under Taliban rule in war-torn Afghanistan in 2001 – where women are not allowed to leave home without a male accompanying them.
When her father is wrongfully arrested, there is no one to earn money or even shop for food. Parvana make a life-changing decision and disguises herself as a boy in order to support her family. With dauntless perseverance, Parvana draws strength from the stories her father told her and ultimately risks her life trying to discover if he is still alive.
“The Breadwinner is by no means a simple-minded kidpic; rather, it directly confronts the misogyny and chauvinism of contemporary Afghanistan, while powerfully suggesting that storytelling is both a means of coping and a solution for change.” – Variety
Equal parts thrilling and enchanting, The Breadwinner is a timely and inspiring tale about the transcendent power of stories and their potential to unite and heal us all.
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Oscar-Nominated Animated Feature
Sembène – The Film & Art Festival Presents
The Breadwinner
Saturday, January 5th
3:00 pm
The Breadwinner is an Academy Award and Golden Globe animated feature nominee. It tells the story of Parvana, an 11-year-old girl growing up under Taliban rule in war-torn Afghanistan in 2001 – where women are not allowed to leave home without a male accompanying them.
When her father is wrongfully arrested, there is no one to earn money or even shop for food. Parvana make a life-changing decision and disguises herself as a boy in order to support her family. With dauntless perseverance, Parvana draws strength from the stories her father told her and ultimately risks her life trying to discover if he is still alive.
“The Breadwinner is by no means a simple-minded kidpic; rather, it directly confronts the misogyny and chauvinism of contemporary Afghanistan, while powerfully suggesting that storytelling is both a means of coping and a solution for change.” – Variety
Equal parts thrilling and enchanting, The Breadwinner is a timely and inspiring tale about the transcendent power of stories and their potential to unite and heal us all.
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“Madonna Before Madonna, Prince Before Prince”
Sembène – The Film & Art Festival Presents
Betty: They Say I’m Different
Monday, December 10th
7:00 pm
A songwriter from a small local steel town, Betty arrived on the 70’s scene to break boundaries for women with her daring personality, iconic fashion and outrageous funk music. She befriended Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, wrote songs for the Chambers Brothers and the Commodores, and married Miles Davis. Despite being banned and boycotted, went on to become the first black woman to perform, write and manage herself.
Then suddenly – she vanished.
Creatively blending documentary and animation, Betty: They Say I’m Different traces the path of Betty’s life, how she grew from humble upbringings to become a fully self-realized black female pioneer the world failed to understand or appreciate. After years of trying, the elusive Betty, forever the free-spirited Black Power Goddess, finally allowed the filmmakers to creatively tell her story based on their conversations.
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Cowboys & Frenchman Post-Bop Jazz
Cowboys & Frenchmen
Sunday, December 2nd
6:00 pm
NYC-based quintet Cowboys & Frenchmen
“jazz that is fresh and defies easy categorizing, and offers rewarding listening” — Cadence Magazine
The band is comprised of five adventurous musicians: Owen Broder on alto sax, clarinet and bass clarinet, Ethan Helm on alto sax, flute and clarinet, Chris Ziemba on piano, Ethan O’Reilly on bass, and Matt Honor on drums.
The inspiration for the band’s quirky name is a short Western by David Lynch called “The Cowboy and The Frenchmen.
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We’re So Grateful for You
We couldn’t be more grateful for Pittsburgh’s wonderful greenspaces, and for park friends like you.
Are parks something that you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving? We invite you to take part in one of our favorite annual traditions – writing notes of thanks to parks!
Here are a few notes that we loved:
“Thank you for all the fun we had there year after year! You made our life so much better! :)” -Cheng C.
“Dear Frick Park, if it weren’t for you, I don’t know that I could live in the city. Thank you for your vast canopies, your burbling creeks, your soaring red-tailed hawks, your great horned owls in the winter dark. You are the best!” -Ryan W.
“I am giving thanks to Highland Park for the beautiful way it embraces all people and connects us to each other and the landscape we live in.” -Susan R.
Thank you for being a friend. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy!
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Support Manchester Historic Society During GiveBig Pittsburgh
Manchester Historic Society needs your help! Please join us during GiveBig Pittsburgh on Novemeber 27th and help us get closer to our goal of restoring the Colonel James Anderson House in Manchester.
Starting at 12:00 am on November 27th, visit givebigpittsburgh.com and make a donation to us and/or to any of the great participating nonprofit organizations in Pittsburgh. You will have 24 hours to make your donation, and all giving will end at 11:59 pm on November 27th/sup>.
Questions? If you have any questions or would like more information, let us know. You can contact MHS at info@manchesterhistoricsocietypa.com or (412) 447-8692. Thank you in advance for your generosity to our organization!
Chinese Restaurants and the Asian American Identity
Taste Makers:
Chinese Restaurants and the Asian American Identity
Monday, November 26th
5:30 pm
How is the growth of the Chinese community shaping Pittsburgh? Why has the Asian community grown so quickly among Pittsburgh’s universities, and what opportunities come with this growth? And how do the Trump Administration’s changes in immigration policies affect local businesses such as restaurants?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Melissa McCart follows up her Pulitzer Center research with a panel exploring how those originally from Taiwan and China are contributing to the changing dynamic of Pittsburgh.
This program will feature a panel discussion with restaurateur Mike Chen of Everyday Noodles in Squirrel Hill, community crusader Marian Lien (executive director of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition and commissioner on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian and Pacific American Affairs in Pennsylvania) and Chris Briem (University of Pittsburgh regional economist and analyst of population trends).
There will be beer, wine and Chinese snacks.
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Stravinsky to Nirvana
Adam Hopkins:
Crickets
Wednesday, November 28th
7:00 pm
New York composer-bassist Adam Hopkins and his sextet celebrate the release of their new album, Crickets! This is a special treat for us–how often do we get to hear a sextet on tour?!
“…compelling and unconventional jazz compositions juxtaposed with blowouts. This is a singular release and hopefully the first of many from Hopkins.” – Avant Music News
Crickets is a head-on collision of the various musical worlds influenced by Tim Berne, Henry Threadgill, Michael Formanek, and Igor Stravinsky. Crickets takes classic and jazz traditions with the bands of Adam’s youth like Nirvana, Pavement, and Fugazi.
Adam will be joined by Anna Webber (tenor saxophone), Ed Rosenberg (tenor saxophone), Josh Sinton (baritone saxophone/bass clarinet), Jonathan Goldberger (guitar), Devin Gray (drums) for this album release event.
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