Music

Host Waldemar Vinovskis interviews Allentown Symphony Hall music director and conductor Diane Wittry about this weekend's performance of To Russia with Love. Also in the studio, Conrad Tao, an 18-year-old pianist The New York Times calls “hugely gifted… with impressive technique, poise, and feeling”and Chris Ramaekers, music director at the Hyde Park Youth Symphony.

Happy long weekend.

• Whither smooth jazz? Though straight-ahead and experimental fans might assume their, uh, less bumpy cousin is weathering the storm, the loss of many radio stations is affecting the field a lot. David Adler talks to many musicians and industry insiders for JazzTimes. That includes Kenny G, who is identified on subsequent reference as "G," in a sidebar.

Got an idea for a classical cartoon, or a reaction to this one? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Pablo Helguera is a New York-based artist working with sculpture, drawing, photography and performance. You can see more of his work at Artworld Salon and on his own site.

The Whipsaws, a band from Anchorage, Alaska, makes its first appearance on Mountain Stage, recorded live on the campus of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. The group formed in the mid-2000s and soon began drawing from rock, country and the driving guitar sounds of Being There-era Wilco.

Until this week, it had been six years since Beth Orton released an album. In 1993, a chance meeting with Grammy-winning producer William Orbit led to the creation of her debut album, Trailer Park, as well as collaborations throughout the '90s with the likes of The Chemical Brothers. Her music was widely praised and dubbed "folktronica" — a blend of folk and electronic music.