Walkin' Jim Stoltz has taken annual walking trips through North America's wild country, sometimes for several months at a time, taking pictures and writing songs about the things he sees and feels. The Environmental Protection Agency recognized Stoltz's service with an Outstanding Achievement Award for "sharing nature and wilderness with others across America through [his] extraordinary words, images, and music."

The Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham College and the Sierra Club Allegheny Group will co-present "Forever Wild," an environmental multimedia show featuring Walkin' Jim, at 7 p.m. Friday in the College's Eddy Theatre. Free and open to the public. More information: contact Nancy Gift at 412-365-1637 or ngift@chatham.edu.

Localize it

This week, several local musicians are a part of opening the classical music season. Duquesne University voice chair Guenko Guechev shows off his own baritone singing in a recital with wife Xiu-ru Liu, a mezzo-soprano, at 4 p.m. today at Shadyside Presbyterian Church. The duo will sing works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens and others, highlighted by Mussorgsky's "Songs and Dances of Death."

Flutist Barbara O'Brien, pianist Yeeha Chiu and cellist Adam Liu give a combined recital at 2 p.m. today at Carnegie Mellon's Kresge Hall, with Prokofiev, Boccherini and Debussy on tap.

The Pittsburgh Symphony's Chamber Orchestra is highlighting CMU this year in concerts, beginning with guitarist James Ferla soloing in a Paganini guitar quartet at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Jewish Community Center, Squirrel Hill.

At 3 p.m. next Sunday, Pittsburgh Symphony cellists Anne Martindale Williams and David Premo join violinists Charles and Rachel Stegeman and Duquesne pianist David Allen Wehr for chamber works at PNC Recital Hall.

Idle thoughts

Post-Gazette theater editor Christopher Rawson had a close encounter with a Python a decade or so ago:

I found myself teetering on a cushion beside Eric Idle at a small London fringe theater before the play began. As a Monty Python fan from way back, I was pleased to tell him I regularly included Python material in the satire course I taught at the University of Pittsburgh.

Of course, the Pythons regularly mocked professors, stuffy academic institutions and such. So Idle gave it a brief thought and said, "I suppose that's the best revenge."

The touring company of Idle's "Spamalot" runs through Oct. 1 at the Benedum Center (412-456-6666).

On the Attack

Attack Theatre may have recently found themselves over Indonesia's erupting volcano, Mount Merapi, but there are more reasons that the company is flying high these days. Whether it was the National Touring Project award, the success of "Games of Steel" or summer tours, there is no doubt that the company is hot stuff, both here and abroad.

Need more evidence? Dance Magazine has named Attack Theatre, with co-founders Michele de la Reza and Peter Kope, one of "25 to Watch" for the upcoming year. Look for the January 2007 issue, with article and photo.