April 2025 Concerts

♦ PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
♦ Total Eclipse of the Chart: Music of the 80s
Heinz Hall
APR 4 FRI 7:30 PM
APR 5 SAT 7:30 PM
APR 6 SUN 2:30 PM

Turn around, bright eyes, and travel back to the ‘80s with hits from U2, Eurythmics, The Police, Cher and more in this ultimate music extravaganza. It’s not just a concert—it’s a blast from the past.

♦ Gerstein Plays Tchaikovsky
Heinz Hall
APR 11 FRI 7:30 PM
APR 13 SUN 2:30 PM

DE SABATA: Plato’s Night [PSO Premiere]
TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1
RAVEL: Daphnis et Chloé, Suites No. 1 & 2

Notes: A pairing of one of today’s greatest artists and a beloved concerto is not to be missed! A longtime favorite of audiences and critics alike, pianist Kirill Gerstein, is “a poet of sound who knows how to cast a spell on his listeners” (Der Tagesspiegel—Berlin) returns to perform Tchaikovsky’s soaring, thrilling concerto. Performances of the suite from Ravel’s mesmerizing ballet about the pastoral romance between two mythic figures mark the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

♦ Beethoven and Brahms
Heinz Hall
APR 25 FRI 7:30 PM+
APR 26 SAT 7:30 PM
APR 27 SUN 2:30 PM

SOPHIA JANI: Flare [PSO Premiere]
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 1
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1

Notes: One of the most sought-after and captivating artists today, Vikingur Ólafsson performs Brahm’s towering first concerto in his much-anticipated PSO debut. Manfred Honeck leads an evening of firsts, including Beethoven’s First Symphony and a brilliant new work by German composer Sophia Jani.

♦ CITY THEATRE
♦ King James
1300 Bingham Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
April 19 – May 11, 2025

Book by Rajiv Joseph. directed by Monteze Freeland

Notes: Basketball legend LeBron James is the undeclared king of Cleveland, Ohio. Taking place over twelve years, from LeBron’s rookie season through the 2016 NBA Championship, King James is a buddy comedy that tracks the unlikely friendship of two super fans and examines the bonds that sports can create in an “intensely watchable and astutely observed” (The New York Times) new play.

♦ PITTSBURGH SPEAKER SERIES
♦ Andrew Lloyd Webber
Heinz Hall
APRIL 29 8:00PM

Notes: The longest running musical in Broadway history, Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera ran for 35 years. With four decades of continuously running shows in London and New York, his iconic musicals include Cats, School of Rock, and Evita. He achieved the rare EGOT status – winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.

♦ PITTSBURGH OPERA
♦ Women with Eyes Closed
Benedum Center
APRIL 26, 29,
MAY 2, 3, 4

Notes: When Mona finds a mysterious suitcase filled with stolen masterpieces, she must grapple with a choice to save these priceless paintings or save her son—the thief. Burning the paintings would destroy the evidence of her son’s crime, but one of the paintings—Lucien Freud’s “Woman With Eyes Closed”—looks just like her own mother, a painter who died when Mona was still young. The uncanny resemblance unlocks long-buried memories that fuel the fires of three different possible endings.

This world premiere opera from award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon (Cold Mountain) is inspired by a real-life art heist, and confronts the question “what is the true value of a work of art?” This is an opera that needs to be seen at least twice; each night of the production has the possibility of a completely new ending!

♦ PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE
♦ The Wizards of Oz
Benedum Center
May 9 – May 18, 2025

Notes:  extraordinary whirlwind of adventure lands in Pittsburgh with the PBT premiere of the whimsical The Wizard of Oz. Based on the beloved book and film, this ballet follows Dorothy and Toto down the yellow brick road into Oz. Joined by the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion, they quest to find the Wizard and battle the Wicked Witch. This incredible family event includes all of L. Frank Baum’s signature characters, and brings the Emerald City to dazzling life with imaginative costumes, beautiful sets, special effects, spectacular choreography and original music played live by the PBT Orchestra!

Choreography: Septime Webre | Music: Matthew Pierce

♦ POETRY UNPLUGGED
♦ The Last Poets, Queen Sheba, Jasmine Mans, Black Chakra, Ephraim Nehemiah, Yex, and Mike Smalls (Century Cycle Poetry Slam’s grand prize winner).
August Wilson African American Cultural Center
April 18, 7:00PM

Notes: Join us for the highly anticipated annual event, Poetry Unplugged: Always August, presented with generous support from Citizens. This special evening will feature nationally renowned and award-winning spoken word artists as they take the stage to speak truth to power in the spirit of August Wilson, infusing humor, romance, justice, and equality into their performances.

Featured Artists include: The Last Poets, Queen Sheba, Jasmine Mans, Black Chakra, Ephraim Nehemiah, Yex, and Mike Smalls (Century Cycle Poetry Slam’s grand prize winner). As we celebrate what would have been August Wilson’s 80th birthday on April 27th, we are honored to showcase two of Pittsburgh’s finest visual artists, Morgan Overton and Marlon Gist, who will be live-painting portraits of the legendary playwright throughout the event.

These stunning portraits will be auctioned off during the evening, offering a unique opportunity to own a piece of Wilson’s enduring legacy. Don’t miss this unforgettable tribute to the life and work of one of Pittsburgh’s greatest native sons, born in the Hill District, and a true American hero.