When it comes to the Underground Railroad, everyone knows Harriet Tubman. But a new oratorio sheds light on a different, key figure named William Still. Continue Reading Underground Railroad: Conductor And Read More
Music
The saxophonist and composer — an artist who wrote for Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, and who nurtured John Coltrane — died Sunday at age 93. Continue Reading Jimmy Heath, Jazz Saxophonist, Composer, Bandleader And Legend, Dies At Read More
Watch the celebrated opera star deconstruct old Italian love songs with her signature flair, backed by a crack jazz ensemble. Continue Reading Opera Star Joyce DiDonato Jazzes Up Classical Songs With Spontaneity Read More
Dolly Parton, Carla Thomas, Fanny, The Runaways and Salt n Pepa are just some of the women who should be in the Hall by now. Continue Reading 41 Women Who Should Be In The Rock & Roll Hall Of FameRead More
The song is from the Netflix series The Witcher and has inspired enthusiastic remixes and covers. Composers Kathryn Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli discuss their songwriting process. Continue Reading O’ Valley Of Read More
Now YOU can record your conversation with a loved one, and the Library of Congress will archive it. NWPB and Innovia Foundation are proud to bring the StoryCorps mobile recording booth to the Lewis-Clark Valley this summer. Continue Reading StoryCorps Coming To Read More
The irrepressible harpist proves that the instrument can be as tempestuous as a tango, as complex as a Bach fugue and sing as serenely as a church choir. Continue Reading Harpist Bridget Kibbey Brings Blistering Bach And Jazzy Read More
"We're only immortal for a limited time." Peart, who died on Jan. 7, guided Rush through the decades with a pen, a massive drum kit and an openness towards life's many shades. Continue Reading Remembering Neil Peart, A Monster Drummer With A Read More
"I'm a combination of a perfectionist and a snail," Khushi jokes. It took him 10 years to write Strange Seasons, which he ended up recording in a shed over the course of six years. Continue Reading 10 Years, One Shed: Read More
As a composer, Guinga's written hits for Brazilian superstars like Elis Regina. As a musician he's set the bar for classical guitarists far beyond his native country. Continue Reading The Unusually Modest Guinga: A Read More
Spanglish Fly is one of the pioneers of the boogaloo revival scene happening on the East Coast. For about sixteen minutes, they turned the NPR Music offices into the hottest Latin dance club in D.C. Continue Reading Spanglish Fly Read More
Daniela Medina is a first-grade teacher in the Kennewick School District — at the same school she found herself in at age six when she and her family immigrated to Washington from Mexico in 2001. The Mid-Columbia Mastersingers are holding concerts January 10, 11 and 12 of music by immigrant composers to tell the stories behind the politics. Read More
NPR Music staffers Marissa Lorusso and Tom Huizenga give out superlatives for the best moments in music this past year, including a single breath of operatic singing and an epic guitar solo. Continue Reading One Big Breath And A Blazing Guitar: Read More
Fiddler Jenee Fleenor is the first woman ever to win the Country Music Association's Musician of the Year Award. Her work is partly responsible for the instrument's resurgence. Continue Reading The Woman Leading The Fiddle Revival In Country MusicRead More
Every Christmas Eve at exactly 3 p.m., the Chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England plays A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. The tradition began in 1918, and for decades it's been broadcast on the BBC and around the world. Read More
Made famous by Frank Sinatra — who grew to hate it — "My Way" represents the quintessentially American outlook that nothing in life matters more than living on your own terms. Continue Reading American Anthem: A Toast To ‘My Read More
A woman had become barely verbal, an effect of dementia. Her daughter, an opera singer, decided to try singing Christmas songs with her, and they reconnected. Continue Reading This Opera Singer’s Mom Was Lost In Read More
We celebrate 25 Years of democracy in South Africa by focusing on the trailblazers that stayed during the brutal era of apartheid, featuring Herbie Tsoaeli and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Continue Reading The South African Read More
Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is back at the top of the chart a quarter century after it was first released. So why haven't there been any lasting Christmas songs to take its place? Continue Reading Why Are New Standard Christmas Read More
The Comet is Coming is a force of nature. The British trio's approach to the Tiny Desk was ferocious. Shabaka Hutchings, aka King Shabaka, blew his sax hard while his effects pedal added reverb, expanding not only his sound but altering the office and making it a little eerier. Read More
A new book explores the relation between a few key figures in American classical music and U.S. foreign policy in the 20th century. Continue Reading ‘Dangerous Melodies’ Examines Classical Music And American Foreign Read More
His simultaneous dismissal from two of the world's leading opera houses comes after an investigation into allegations of misconduct during a Royal Opera performance in Tokyo. Continue Reading Opera Star Vittorio Grigolo Fired By Metropolitan Read More
The guitarist, who hails from a small town on the edge of the West Siberian Plain, competed against two Americans for one of, if not the, most prestigious prizes available to younger jazz artists. Continue Reading Russian Music Read More
In this season of holiday shopping, now is about the time when many of us get stuck and don't know what to get for someone on our gift list. There are at least three Pacific Northwest companies who may come to your rescue with ideas for unconventional presents. A hint: they involve used dolls, a precious, exotic spice and a different kind of gift card. Read More
For nearly 200 years, Beethoven's epic Ninth Symphony, with its powerful "Ode to Joy," has inspired millions. Now conductor Marin Alsop takes it on a world tour. Continue Reading The Music And Morality Of Beethoven’s Mighty NinthRead More
Here is a list of ideas that will hopefully help you get your list checked off (though make sure to check it twice!), whether gifts for friends, family or even for yourself. Continue Reading NWPB Holiday Gift Guide For The Discerning Read More
Know someone who just LOVES Jazz? Use this guide from KJEM, the Jazz Gem of the Palouse to help you pick out a gift they will appreciate! Continue Reading KJEM Gift Guide For The Jazz-Lover In Your LifeRead More
One of classical music's most beloved and widely heard conductors died Saturday. Born in secret in Nazi-occupied Latvia, he went on to a stunning international career. Continue Reading Famed Latvian Conductor Mariss Jansons Dies At Age 76Read More
They were a classical music hosts who helped make the genre approachable. Bob and Bill started at Northwest Public Radio delighting audiences with their humor and knowledge. Recently, Bob Christenson passed away. Bill Morelock remembers him. Read More
The Brooklyn-born Burgie studied at Juilliard and co-wrote many of the songs on Harry Belafonte's breakthrough album, Calypso, including his genre-defining hit, "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)." Continue Reading Irving Burgie, Read More
On her new album, the restless Italian opera star sings virtuoso music composed for Farinelli, the greatest of the baroque castratos. Continue Reading Powerful Lungs And Long-Spun Lines: Cecilia Bartoli Conjures FarinelliRead More
Despite some very public bumps in his tenure, the head of the largest performing arts organization in the U.S. received a five-year extension to his contract. Continue Reading Met Opera Chief Peter Gelb Renews His Contract Through 2027Read More
The classicly trained duo — whose real names are Kevin Sylvester and Wilner Baptist — formed Black Violin and found their unique sound mashing together Bach with Biggie Smalls. Continue Reading Duo ‘Black Violin’ Meshes Hip Hop With Classical Read More
The insightful pianist offers a Beethoven bonanza, ranging from the mesmerizing pulse of the popular "Moonlight" Sonata to flashes of wry humor and tender beauty. Continue Reading Pianist Igor Levit Slips ‘Into The Beethoven Read More
Before any opera purists start wringing their hands, let's remember that the 400-year-old art form has proven itself terrifically adaptable and resilient. Continue Reading Kanye West Announces An Opera (Which Isn’t As Crazy As It Read More
Special programs examine different aspects of the quintessential American holiday this month: scientific, culinary, musical and literary. Meantime, how’s your holiday prep going? If you don’t know what to do or where to start, here’s a guide to keep you on track for the perfect Thanksgiving meal. Bring on the turkey and pie! The Pulse:… Read More
The singer and pianist says he's loved Porter's music since he was a little kid. Connick's latest album pays tribute to an enduring influence. Continue Reading Harry Connick Jr. Celebrates The Music Of Cole Porter On His New Read More
It's almost impossible to pinpoint an exact moment in music history when the plates shift. But looking back at the last decade in Latin music, it's easy, now to see that the release of "Despacito" by Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi in early 2017 was just such a moment. Read More
One of Mexico's most renowned classical composers, Ortiz's latest work was commissioned by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic and inspired by Mexico's first liberator of slaves. Continue Reading Gabriela Ortiz’s Read More
Before Nat King Cole became known for his velvety singing voice, he was a pianist working nightly gigs to hone his craft. Continue Reading New Anthology ‘Hittin’ The Ramp’ Traces Nat King Cole’s Read More
The classical flutist came back from the hospital after receiving an Alzheimer's diagnosis and felt compelled to write. The result is a stunning memoir that mixes poetry and prose. Continue Reading Flutist Eugenia Zukerman Read More
What do Gertrude Stein, Billy Joel and Robert Burns have in common? Their words all show up in a new song by Pulitzer-winning composer Caroline Shaw. Continue Reading WATCH: Classical Singer And Pulitzer Music Winner Caroline Read More
His radical combination of symphonic and popular music comes eight years after a controversial statement about the word "jazz." Continue Reading Nicholas Payton Reimagines Musical Tradition With ‘Black American Read More
Intended only for home use, the Mellotron became a sonic tool for The Beatles, The Moody Blues and David Bowie. Now it's inspiring a new generation of musicians. Continue Reading On ‘Mellotron Variations,’ A Read More
This week, two Native American men, Faran Sohappy and Tim Brooks, who live in the Grand Coulee area, are going back east to complete what has been a surprising adventure. They are finalists, along with Chicago singer/songwriter Joan Hammel (who is not Native), for a Native American Music Award. Read More
Jazz Night in America offers a three-artist sampler of vocalists. Get introduced to the gospel roots of Quiana Lynell, the salsa stylings of Jeremy Bosch and the harmonizing trio Duchess. Continue Reading Take Three: Three Different Styles of Jazz Read More
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to WNYC's Jad Abumrad about his new podcast which explores the life and legacy of the prolific songwriter and her ability to bridge the divide in America. Continue Reading A New Podcast From Radiolab’s Read More
We revisit pianist, singer and composer Andy Bey throughout his life: growing up in Newark, N.J., working with Horace Silver, performing during his 1990s renaissance and now, looking back at 80. Continue Reading Andy Bey At 80: A Love Letter To A Jazz LegendRead More
Neil Young and Crazy Horse have put out music together for 50 years. Young talks to NPR's David Greene about their latest album, Colorado. Continue Reading A Legendary Collaboration Continues: Neil Young And Crazy Read More
It's not easy to see that history is being made when it's happening right in front of you — just ask the critics tasked with assessing these classic, ahead-of-their-time recordings. Continue Reading First Reviled, Now Revered: The Historic Albums Of Read More
