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INA FASSBENDER

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Scientists sequence Beethoven's genome for clues into his painful past

Ari Daniel

Scientists have sequenced the genome of Ludwig van Beethoven from two-century-old locks of hair, and found clues about the ailments that plagued him in life.
Josh Goleman

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Courtesy of the artist

For pianist Dan Tepfer, improvisation is the mother of Bach's Inventions

Olivia Hampton

Two musical worlds collide as jazz pianist Dan Tepfer finds inspiration, and room for improvisation, in J.S. Bach's Two-Part Inventions.

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NASA puts the sounds of the universe into a new album

Michel Martin

NASA's Sonification Project is a collaborative effort to turn data collected from the outer reaches of the universe into sounds. Their album, Universal Harmonies, is out March 10.
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Missy Mazzoli is a symphonic composer with a photographer's eye

Tom Huizenga

On her new album, Dark with Excessive Bright, the vibrant, young composer coaxes unusual sounds from a symphony orchestra.
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Jessie Montgomery, composing from a place of self-honor

Lara Downes

Watch Lara Downes' conversation with the composer-in-residence of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra about balancing her roots, her craft and the shifting field of classical music.
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From Beyoncé to Debussy, Yannick Nézet-Séguin shares music that inspires him

Terry Gross

What do great conductors listen to when they're not on the podium? Nézet-Séguin made a playlist, specifically for Fresh Air, of music that inspires him (plus one of his cats' favorite songs).
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Prodigious fiddler Mark O'Connor celebrates 50 years of music with memoir

Olivia Hampton

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Mark O'Connor about his memoir, Crossing Bridges, on his journey from multi-instrumentalist child prodigy to solo artist composing and performing on world stages.
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N.Y. Philharmonic chief looks to Gustavo 'Dudamel era' after historic appointment

Olivia Hampton

New York philharmonic president and CEO Deborah Borda discusses the decisionmaking process behind bringing the superstar conductor to the Big Apple.
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Gustavo Dudamel's new musical home is the New York Philharmonic

Anastasia Tsioulcas

The New York Philharmonic announced Tuesday afternoon that the charismatic 42-year-old conductor will be taking on the music director designate post at the start of the 2025-26 concert season.
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Kalia Vandever, 'Temper the Wound'

Tom Huizenga

Hear a meditative trombone improvisation, inspired by dreams, and powered by spiraling loops and gentle melodies.
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Lara Downes' season 3 of 'Amplify' launches with a theme of renaissance

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to pianist Lara Downes about her interview series Amplify, which examines how Black artists today might find themselves in a new cultural renaissance.
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Jazz singer Samara Joy embraces the past while making music for the future

Lara Downes

Watch Lara Downes' conversation with the 23-year-old, Grammy-nominated sensation about balancing the demands of a surging career and the women artists who paved the way.