Behind the scenes of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra broadcasts

Stewart Copeland of The Police Performs with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, November 7, 2021, in Atlanta. (Photo by Robb Cohen/Invision/AP)

Kevin Dietsch / Kevin Dietsch

If you have ever attended an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert and noticed microphones hanging above the front of the stage, you should know that they are strategically placed to get the best sound from the orchestra for recording the performances that air on WABE.

“City Lights” is celebrating 50 years of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra broadcasts on WABE, and two musicians who worked behind the scenes to record and produce those programs, Dr. Tommy Joe Anderson and Fyodor Cherniavsky, recently joined Lois Reitzes to discuss their work.

Cherniavsky, a former conductor and musician, and Anderson, a pianist and composer, both brought rich musical expertise to the role.



“My job was to follow the orchestral score and notate any issues, like wrong notes or rhythms, for seamless editing,” Cherniavsky said.

He would then go into the recording in post-production and smooth out the issues.

“We aimed to give radio listeners an experience that was often even better than the live performance, editing out audience noise and mishaps to create a polished product,” added Anderson.

Cherniavsky recalled late nights preparing recordings for national broadcast, while Anderson highlighted the technical breakthroughs in early digital editing that elevated the ASO’s sound.

As the ASO celebrates 50 years of broadcasts on WABE, Anderson and Cherniavsky’s contributions underscore the dedication behind the scenes that brings Atlanta’s symphonic excellence to audiences across the globe.