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Missy Mazzoli Is The 21st Century's Gatecrasher Of New Classical Music
Classical music has a gatekeeping problem. Through her label-defying music and commitment to mentorship, Mazzoli is fighting to correct that.
(16 November)
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Raising the Dead — And A Few Questions — With Maria Callas' Hologram
The legendary opera diva is on tour, as a hologram, with a live orchestra. But behind the dramatic music, truth and fiction are blurred.
(6 November)
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Vote For Your Favorite New Musician Of 2018
Slingshot, VuHaus public radio stations and NPR Music's emerging artist series, spotlighted 40 artists over the course of the past 10 months. Now it's time for you to tell us your favorite.
(2 November)
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Vote For Your Favorite New Musician Of 2018
Slingshot, NPR Music's emerging artist series, spotlighted 40 artists over the course of the past 10 months. Now it's time for you to tell us your favorite.
(2 November)
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Tilda Swinton's Spaniels Are A Lot To Handel
A new video, co-directed by actress Tilda Swinton, breaks the joy meter, as her vivacious dogs frolic to the strains of a Handel opera.
(1 November)
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A 'Cosmic Connection' Between 2 Violinists
For decades, Cologne-based violinist Geoffry Wharton has played jazzy crowd-pleasing encores written in the 1930s by an obscure composer, Audrey Call. Wharton discovered a spooky connection with her.
(27 October)
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Second Man Accuses Opera Star David Daniels Of Sexual Assault
For the second time in just over two months, famed opera star David Daniels has been accused of drugging and then sexually assaulting a young singer.
(26 October)
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Cleveland Orchestra Fires 2 Leading Musicians After Sexual Misconduct Investigation
The Cleveland Orchestra announced on Wednesday afternoon that it has fired concertmaster William Preucil and principal trombonist Massimo La Rosa for multiple alleged incidents of sexual misconduct.
(25 October)
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Cleveland Orchestra Fires Two Leading Musicians After Sexual Misconduct Investigation
The Cleveland Orchestra announced on Wednesday afternoon that it has fired concertmaster William Preucil and principal trombonist Massimo La Rosa for multiple alleged incidents of sexual misconduct.
(25 October)
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MacArthur Fellow Vijay Gupta On Making Music Accessible For All
Violinist and social justice advocate Vijay Gupta, one of the 2018 winners of the MacArthur Fellowship, speaks about his work in under-resourced communities in Los Angeles and what's next.
(14 October)
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Dreaming Of Rachmaninov On A Train
The celebrated young pianist Daniil Trifonov steals aboard a steam locomotive, chugging through the Rockies to the strains of Rachmaninov's Fourth Concerto.
(11 October)
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The Rise Of The LA Philharmonic To 'America's Most Important Orchestra'
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, which begins to mark its centennial this fall, is credited with helping to bring high culture and great composers to L.A.
(10 October)
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Two More Women Accuse Violinist William Preucil Of Misconduct
Two female violinists allege that the Cleveland Orchestra concertmaster — currently suspended from his job due to a previous allegation — acted inappropriately towards them during lessons.
(10 October)
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The Tale Of The Stolen Totenberg Stradivarius Ends With A New Legacy
When the FBI recovered virtuoso violinist Roman Totenberg's stolen Stradivarius after his death, his daughters wanted the instrument to be played everywhere. Ensuring that was not so simple.
(9 October)
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One Mesmerizing Moment With Soprano Montserrat Caballé
The revered Spanish soprano, who died Saturday, spins out silvery threads of tone in her recordings, the likes of which no one has ever matched.
(9 October)
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Back To Bach: Hilary Hahn Rekindles An Old Love
When the violinist was just 17, a stunning Bach debut album launched her career. Over two decades later, she returns to finish up the set of pieces she started as a teenager.
(7 October)
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Watch Yo-Yo Ma Perform 'Song Of The Birds' Live In The Studio
The world-renowned cellist performs the delicate piece both gently and with absolute surety.
(4 October)
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MacArthur Fellow Matthew Aucoin Talks Composing And Donating His 'Genius' Money
The 28-year-old polymath from Boston discusses his new award, his precocious youth and how he perceives all human language as a form of musical communication.
(4 October)
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Bach On Tap Shoes: Tiptoeing Through The 'Goldberg Variations'
Watch Caleb Teicher tap his way through Bach's Goldberg Variations with pianist Conrad Tao at the Steinway factory in New York.
(3 October)
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'The Planets' At 100: A Listener's Guide To Holst's Solar System
Take an interplanetary trek through the English composer's symphonic blockbuster with the help of a conductor and an astronomer.
(29 September)
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Erasing Genres En Español: A Smoky-Voiced Jazz Singer Meets Classical Strings
The resourceful Mexican jazz singer Magos Herrera partners with the string quartet Brooklyn Rider, creating an album that's steeped in Latin American culture.
(28 September)
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New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Struggle To Find Their Way
The New York Philharmonic launches its season with a new music director and executive director. The Metropolitan Opera's season starts with a young music director.
(25 September)
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Anthony Roth Costanzo: Tiny Desk Concert
Watch the ambitious countertenor sing music that spans more than 250 years, connecting the dots between David Byrne, George Frideric Handel and Philip Glass.
(24 September)
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New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Struggle To Find Their Way
The Philharmonic launches its season with a new music director and executive director. The Metropolitan Opera's season starts with a young music director.
(24 September)
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Anthony Roth Costanzo: A Countertenor For The 21st Century
The resourceful singer is unafraid to bring opera — and his high-flying top notes — to unlikely places, from sixth-grade classrooms to the offices of NPR.
(22 September)
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New York Philharmonic Musicians In Limbo After Investigation
After a five-month investigation, the New York City orchestra took action against oboist Liang Wang and trumpeter Matthew Muckey over unspecified misconduct.
(18 September)
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Helen Sung Spins Dana Gioia's Poetry Into Jazz On 'Sung With Words'
The pianist merges jazz and poetry together to make a multi-movement work that explores themes of the human condition.
(14 September)
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How Sports Met 'The Star-Spangled Banner'
"The Star-Spangled Banner" has been played at major sporting events as far back as the Civil War, even before it was officially named the national anthem. How and why did the tradition stick?
(10 September)
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How Sports Met 'The Star Spangled Banner'
"The Star Spangled Banner" has been played at major sporting events as far back as the Civil War, even before it was officially named the national anthem. How and why did the tradition stick?
(7 September)
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First Listen: Helen Sung, 'Sung With Words'
The pianist merges jazz and poetry together to make a multi-movement work that explores themes of the human condition.
(6 September)
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George Li: Tiny Desk Concert
Watch the young Harvard grad dispatch some of the most "knuckle-busting" piano repertoire with uncommon panache and precision.
(31 August)
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Renée Fleming, America's Go-To Diva, To Sing At McCain Memorial In Washington
The versatile opera star will sing an Irish classic at the memorial service of Senator John McCain Saturday at Washington's National Cathedral.
(29 August)
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Strangers On A Train: How Gabriel Kahane's Travels Inspired An Album Of Empathy
Kahane's new album, Book of Travelers is inspired by a two-week train trip the composer took across America. Kahane discusses the album and performs a few of the songs in NPR's studio.
(29 August)
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Life With Leonard Bernstein
To mark the centennial of her father's birth, Jamie Bernstein talks frankly about her new memoir, tracking her life as the daughter of the legendary composer.
(25 August)
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George Walker, Trailblazing American Composer, Dies At 96
The composer, whose music fused many styles with a singular voice, constantly broke new ground. He was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.
(25 August)
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The Complex Life Of Leonard Bernstein, A Once-In-A-Century Talent
Born 100 years ago on Aug. 25, 1918, Bernstein was a larger-than-life character — on stage as a conductor, at the piano as a composer, on TV as an educator and in a sometimes tangled personal life.
(24 August)
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Got 'Mambo'? A Playlist For Leonard Bernstein Fanatics And First-Timers
Need to beef up on Leonard Bernstein? Hear the musical polymath's most delightful tunes, from West Side Story classics to surprises from Aretha Franklin, Tom Waits and Selena.
(24 August)
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Opera Singer David Daniels Accused Of Rape
The celebrated artist and his husband, Scott Walters, are accused of drugging and raping a young singer in Houston, Texas, in May 2010.
(23 August)
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New Music, New Stories From Century-Old Celluloid
Watch an excerpt from The Unchanging Sea, the latest commingling of filmmaker Bill Morrison's decaying reels of silent film and Michael Gordon's undulating music.
(20 August)
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Yo-Yo Ma, A Life Led With Bach
If the celebrated cellist could soundtrack his life, the music would be J.S. Bach's six Cello Suites. Yo-Yo Ma explains why they mean the world to him while he played the music at the NPR offices.
(18 August)
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Yo-Yo Ma: Tiny Desk Concert
Watch the 19-time Grammy winner return to his lifelong passion for J.S. Bach, playing music from the Cello Suites and offering advice on the art of incremental learning.
(17 August)
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Minnesota Orchestra Honors Nelson Mandela By Bringing Music To South Africa
The Minnesota Orchestra will be the first major U.S. orchestra to play in Soweto, South Africa. The orchestra's tour of the country grew out of its conductor's work with youth orchestras there.
(17 August)
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Opium Moon, A Band Of Immigrants, Reflects On The Global Refugee Crisis
The band's latest song and video, "Caravan," dreams of a more inclusive, kinder world.
(7 August)
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Ólafur Arnalds: Tiny Desk Concert
The Icelandic composer is joined by two "ghost" pianists, making mysterious and memorable music at the Tiny Desk.
(7 August)
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The King's Singers: Tiny Desk Concert
The storied vocal ensemble brings close harmony singing to a diverse set list that includes a Beatles tune and a bawdy madrigal from the 1500s.
(7 August)
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Leading Orchestra Fires Conductor After Sexual Misconduct Allegations Widen
Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has fired Daniele Gatti after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced in a Washington Post article. The orchestra says more women have come forward since then.
(3 August)
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After Criticism, Philadelphia Orchestra Adds Female Composers To Its New Season
America's top orchestras are programming little or no music by women. Philadelphia has now included two works by female composers. A month ago it had zero.
(2 August)
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Cleveland Violinist Faces Further Fallout After Sexual Misconduct Allegations
William Preucil, the concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, was suspended on Friday due to sexual misconduct allegations. He has now resigned from one of the nation's top music schools.
(31 July)
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The 'Downwinders' From Atomic Testing Get Deserved Attention
The Santa Fe Opera is inviting "downwinders," locals affected by radiation from the testing of the first atomic bombs, on stage during performances of "Dr. Atomic."
(30 July)
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Cleveland Orchestra Suspends Lead Violinist After Sexual Misconduct Accusations
The suspension was announced Friday, the day after the Washington Post published a story about claims of sexual misconduct within classical music. Preucil is the Cleveland Orchestra's concertmaster.
(28 July)
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Christian Tetzlaff: Don't Mind Me, I'm Just The Violinist
The humble German fiddler is in demand around the world. His formidable technique and self-effacing style allow the music to speak volumes.
(26 July)
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The King's Singers: Tiny Desk Concert
The storied vocal ensemble brings close harmony singing to a diverse set list that includes a Beatles tune and a bawdy madrigal from the 1500s.
(23 July)
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What's The Buzz? Insects Have Invaded My Music
Insects have been an inspiration in music for centuries, starring in pieces from "Flight of the Bumblebee" to Mastodon's "March of the Fire Ants."
(21 July)
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Ólafur Arnalds: Tiny Desk Concert
The Icelandic composer is joined by two "ghost" pianists, making mysterious and memorable music at the Tiny Desk.
(20 July)
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One Key, Many Notes: Ólafur Arnalds' Piano Rig Fuses Technology And Musicality
The piano composer and his code-savvy friend created software and a piano rig that plays spontaneous notes from one key stroke.
(20 July)
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On 'Fanfare For The Common Man,' An Anthem For The American Century
Written in the thick of WWII, Aaron Copland's piece seems to have hope woven between its notes. Mandalit del Barco asks why so many who hear it, from presidents to prog rockers, are still so moved.
(19 July)
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Life Immortalized In Song
Songs about the life and career of the Supreme Court justice, written in secret by her daughter-in-law, now make their debut on a very personal album called Notorious RBG in Song.
(18 July)
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Opium Moon, A Band Of Immigrants, Reflects On The Global Refugee Crisis
The band's latest song and video, "Caravan," dreams of a more inclusive, kinder world.
(11 July)
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Oliver Knussen, Composer And Conductor, Dies At 66
Knussen, who wrote symphonies, chamber music and operas, is likely best known for his collaborations with children's author Maurice Sendak on adaptions like 1979's Where The Wild Things Are.
(10 July)
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Seeking Pay Equity, Female Flutist Sues Boston Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra's top flutist, Elizabeth Rowe, says that she is paid substantially less than her closest counterpart — a man. Her suit may be the first filed under a new Massachusetts pay equity law.
(5 July)
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From The Top: Tiny Desk Concert
A handful of teenagers, and a 12-year-old violinist, from the radio show From the Top, give sparkling performances, proving there's a bright future for classical music.
(22 June)
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A Viola Sings Of Strength In Sadness
In this video premiere, Jonah Sirota's viola parts orbit one another restlessly, fueled by improvisation, melancholy and a vibrating set of austere images.
(21 June)
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Max Richter's 'Blue Notebooks' Offers Moving Portrait For Elisabeth Moss
To mark the reissue of The Blue Notebooks, Richter has released a short film featuring The Handmaid's Tale star and a potent piece of music from the 2004 album.
(21 June)
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Gennady Rozhdestvensky, An Influential Russian Conductor, Has Died
With work spanning much of the Soviet era, the conductor served as an important and prominent conduit between Russia and the West. He died Saturday at age 87.
(20 June)
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The Sound Of Silence: Female Composers At The Symphony
America's top orchestras are presenting little if any music written by women next season. Why is that?
(20 June)
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Nils Frahm Goes Against Summer's Grain On Surprise 'Encores 1'
The neoclassical minimalist composer follows up a lauded new record with a quiet batch of castaways.
(1 June)
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Third Coast Percussion: Tiny Desk Concert
Watch the Chicago-based ensemble conjure otherworldly sounds from steel pipes, tuned cowbells and a bowl that sings.
(29 May)
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'My Voice Should Be Heard': #MeToo And The Women Of Opera
Three women — a soprano, a mezzo-soprano, and a vice president of opera programming — join NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro for a conversation about harassment and inequity in the opera world.
(27 May)
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Thea Musgrave, The 90-Year-Old Composer With 80 Players In The Bullpen
The Scottish-born musician, still busy writing music, celebrates her 90th birthday on May 27.
(25 May)
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'On Chesil Beach': Story Of An Unconsummated Love And Marriage
Saoirse Ronan stars in the new film On Chesil Beach, based on the story by Ian McEwan. Ronan and McEwan talk with NPR's Scott Simon, and joke about who plays the lead character best: Ronan or McEwan.
(21 May)
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'Cello Bae' Sheku Kanneh-Mason Wins Worldwide Fans After Royal Wedding
Watch the moving performance from 19-year-old award-winner during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
(21 May)
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James Levine Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By 5 More Men
Their allegations against the former Metropolitan Opera conductor were made public in a counter lawsuit filed by the Met on Friday in New York.
(19 May)
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Classical Music Captures A Young Wife's Anxiety In 'On Chesil Beach'
Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, the film tells the story of a troubled honeymoon. The new bride is a violinist in a string quartet; the music was composed by Dan Jones and is played by Esther Yoo.
(19 May)
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Glenn Branca Helped Me Hear The Music In Noise
In the early 1980s, hearing the work of the avant-garde guitarist for the first time — familiar sounds layered into something overwhelming and powerful — was a form of liberation.
(17 May)
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Remembering The Soprano Who Sang Like A Laser Beam
With a voice of gleaming steel that soared effortlessly above 100-piece orchestras, Swedish dramatic soprano Birgit Nilsson, who was born 100 years ago, was force of nature.
(17 May)
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A Vibraphone Workout With A Tinfoil Twist
Watch percussionist Doug Perkins power through a sizzling new piece, enhanced with a little aluminum wrap.
(16 May)
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Composer And Leading Avant-Garde Guitarist Glenn Branca Has Died At 69
The composer and guitarist who merged noise and art music in sheer walls of sound died on May 13. His collaborators included a huge range of artists, from David Bowie to Kronos Quartet.
(15 May)
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Matt Marks, Versatile Composer And Musician, Dies At 38
A founding member of the contemporary music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, Marks inspired fellow musicians with his blend of "playfulness and gravity."
(15 May)
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'Something Develops Onstage Called Love': Baltimore Symphony's Bernstein Centennial
Recorded live on stage at the Meyerhoff, Scott Simon joins BSO music director Marin Alsop and Leonard Bernstein's daughter Jamie for a conversation and musical celebration.
(13 May)
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'Something Develops Onstage Called Love': Baltimore Symphony Celebrates The Bernstein Centennial
Recorded live on stage at the Meyerhoff, Scott Simon joins BSO music director Marin Alsop and Leonard Bernstein's daughter Jamie for a conversation and musical celebration.
(12 May)
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Simone Dinnerstein's 'Circles' Shares A Common Language With Bach & Glass
A world premiere recording of a new piano concerto by Philip Glass sits comfortably beside a Bach classic.
(11 May)
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First Listen: Simone Dinnerstein, 'Circles: Piano Concertos by Bach & Glass'
A world premiere recording of a new piano concerto by Philip Glass sits comfortably beside a Bach classic.
(3 May)
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What Does Life In An Orchestra Get You? In The U.K., Not Enough To Live On
A study released by the Musicians' Union in the U.K. says that many musicians with full-time, salaried jobs are struggling to pay their bills. Two-thirds say that they have considered other careers.
(3 May)
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Connecting The Dots On Arvo Pärt's Symphonic Journey
A new album of the Estonian composer's four symphonies trace the path of a brave artist who risked throwing it all away to reinvent himself.
(21 April)
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Shall We Dance: Balanchine Sets Tchaikovsky In Motion
Conductor Marin Alsop muses on the power of ballet and her memories of watching choreographer George Balanchine bring the music of Tchaikovsky to life with the New York City Ballet.
(21 April)
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Composer Tod Machover Discusses How He Created 'Philadelphia Voices'
The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform the work Tuesday at Carnegie Hall. He based the composition on recorded sounds, including the sizzle of a cheesesteak.
(11 April)
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Stephanie Richards' 'Gong' Resonates The Body's Frequency
Stephanie Richards' trumpet sounds like deep space wrapped around your head, a flood in the endless void.
(11 April)
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New Mix: Ólafur Arnalds, Khruangbin, Whyte Horses, Ari Roar, More
This week's batch of essential new songs includes a curiously gorgeous piano piece from Iceland's Ólafur Arnalds, the punk band Abuse Of Power, summery psych-pop from Whyte Horses and more.
(10 April)
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Clarice Jensen's Quiet Debut Acknowledges A Loud World
The cellist makes meditative, sometimes disorienting music with pedals, loops, sine tones and an expansive imagination.
(6 April)
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New Music Friday: April 6
Hear a quick run thru some of the best full-albums out today, including the scorching punk of Dark Times, rap phenom Cardi B, pop singer Kylie Minogue's country turn, Hop Along, Wye Oak and more.
(6 April)
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Vespers Or Vision Quest? Soulful Music For A Violin In Flight
A video premiere from violinist Olivia De Prato offers ecstatic music by Missy Mazzoli with an enigmatic take, by director James Darrah, on the evening prayer service.
(3 April)
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New Mix: Young Fathers, Confidence Man, A Stunning Tiny Desk Contest Entry, More
This week's new mix features a profound Tiny Desk Contest entry, "dorky" electropop from Australian group Confidence Man, an intimate paean to different loves from Forth Wanderers and more.
(3 April)
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A New Song Cycle Contemplates Blackness
A collaboration between three prominent artistic voices — singer Lawrence Brownlee, composer Tyshawn Sorey and poet Terrance Hayes — examines what it means to be a black man in America today.
(30 March)
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First Listen: Clarice Jensen, 'For This From That Will Be Filled'
The cellist makes meditative, sometimes disorienting music with pedals, loops, sine tones and an expansive imagination.
(29 March)
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'After Bach' Offers Brad Mehldau's Well-Tempered Jazz
Inspired by J.S. Bach, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau alternates originals from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier with his own reinventions.
(28 March)
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José Antonio Abreu, Venezuelan Who Envisioned Musical Education For All, Dead At 78
Abreu began El Sistema in Venezuela in 1975 with fewer than a dozen students — 40 years later, his system has been used throughout the world to unite children through musical education.
(27 March)
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José Abreu, Venezuelan Conductor Who Envisioned Musical Education For All, Dead At 78
Abreu began El Sistema in 1975 with fewer than a dozen students — 40 years later, his system has been used throughout the world to unite children through musical education.
(26 March)
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'Morning Star' Opera Sheds New Light On Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Of 1911
A production of Ricky Ian Gordon's opera in New York's Lower East Side marks the anniversary of one of America's deadliest industrial accidents.
(26 March)
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Chad Lawson Wants To Revive Piano For The 'Spotify Generation'
Lawson's new album Re:Piano aims to change perceptions of the piano by fusing it with digital filters, loops and effects.
(24 March)
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Songs We Love: Debussy, 'La Plus Que Lente'
Marking the 100th anniversary of the visionary composer's death, hear Debussy play his own music on a 1913 piano roll.
(23 March)
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