Art/Theater

Legendary pianist Van Cliburn died Wednesday at the age of 78.  Known as a brilliant musician, Cliburn had the honor of playing for every American president since Harry Truman.

Buffalo's artist-run media arts center hosts a high-energy fundraising party Saturday night at the Ukrainian Center on Genesee Street.  WBFO's Eileen Buckley says Squeaky Wheel's party known as "Peep Show" will feature art installations, screenings, performances and live music.

Some young jazz musicians are going to get their newest music played by a full orchestra.  The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is one of three orchestras which work with the American Composers Orchestra to bring in young jazz composers and mentors to work with a full orchestra for a day and then get an opportunity to hear their music played by a full orchestra in a public performance.

WBFO's Theater Talk co-hosts Jim Santella and Anthony Chase offer their special  winter pledge drive edition.

This week on Theatre Talk, Jim Santella and Anthony Chase discuss "Gruesome Playground Injuries" and other local productions.

This week on WBFO's Theatre Talk, co-hosts Jim Santella and Anthony Chase discuss Chita Rivera turning 80. 

The future of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery will be in the hands of a man with extensive background in international art.  42-year-old Janne Sirén was introduced at a news conference Tuesday.  He serves as the director of Helsinki Art Museum in Finland. 

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery has gone overseas to find its new director. Janne Sirén, director of the Helsinki Art Museum in Finland, will take over for Louis Grachos, who left the museum last year for a job in Austin, Texas.

Mick Cochrane, a professor of English and director of creative writing at Canisius College, is a published author of short stories and four novels. His most recent,  Fitz, has just been published.

The month of May might seem far away, but not for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. The BPO has launched "All Roads Lead to Carnegie Hall," a fundraising effort to generate sponsors for it's May 8 performance in New York City.

This week on Theatre Talk  co-hosts Jim Santella and Anthony Chase rundown a number of holiday theatre productions. 

By this time next year, Buffalo's Kleinhans Music Hall will be operating much more efficiently.

The area theater community is mourning the death of Brother Augustine Towey, who founded the Niagara University Theatre shortly after arriving at the University in 1963 as a English professor.

Brother Towey, known to friends, colleagues and students simply as "Bro," built the theater group into a nationally renowned undergraduate theater program. He retired from Niagara in 2005, and died in Philadelphia yesterday after a long illness. He was 75.

Neglia Ballet Artists and The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will be delighting audiences this weekend with The Nutcracker at Shea's Performing Arts Center. 

Theatre Talk hosts Jim Santella & Anthony Chase discuss 2012: End of the Road.  It's now on stage at Road Less Traveled Productions in Buffalo.