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Strand of Oaks' newest folk track is one of 10 songs on this month's <em>Heavy Rotation</em>.

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World Cafe

Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Feb 02, 2019

A new collaboration from Karen O and Danger Mouse, a fresh new beat from French producer FKJ and a new single from Jack White's The Raconteurs are among this month's favorites.

Classical

Deceptive Cadence

Baritone Sanford Sylvan led a singular career of his own devising.

Sanford Sylvan, A Baritone On His Own Terms, Dies At 65

Jan 31, 2019

The warm-voiced, and much admired, singer eschewed the glitzy life of an opera star to concentrate on the art of vocal communication.

Classical

First Listen

Jeremy Denk's <em>c.1300-c.2000</em> comes out Feb. 8 on Nonesuch.

First Listen: Jeremy Denk, 'c.1300–c.2000'

Jan 31, 2019

Hear the resourceful pianist trace 700 years of Western music, from the delicate medieval counterpoint of Guillaume de Machaut to the minimalism of Philip Glass.

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Music News

David Daniels, performing in New York during a Metropolitan Opera press conference in 2011.

Opera Star David Daniels And Husband Arrested On Sexual Assault Charges

Jan 30, 2019

The two were arrested Tuesday night in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and are awaiting extradition to Texas. A young singer has accused the pair of drugging and raping him in 2010.

Classical

Music Reviews

Florence Price was the first African-American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra.

Revisiting The Pioneering Composer Florence Price

Jan 21, 2019

A new recording spotlights the tenacious composer, who was the first African-American woman to have her work performed by a major symphony orchestra.

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Discover Music

First Listen

Leyla McCalla's <em>The Capitalist Blues </em>comes out Jan. 25.

First Listen: Leyla McCalla, 'The Capitalist Blues'

Jan 17, 2019

On her bustling third album, the former Carolina Chocolate Drops member maps her vision of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora while gently taking Anglocentricism (and capitalism) down a notch.

Classical

Deceptive Cadence

Composer Olivier Messiaen in 1983, at the organ at the Trinité church in Paris where he held the post of organist for over 60 years.

Finding God, Love And The Meaning Of Life In Messiaen's 'Turangalîla-Symphonie'

Jan 12, 2019

Baltimore Symphony music director Marin Alsop traces her discovery of the rollicking 75-minute symphony and the man behind the music.

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Classical

Tiny Desk

Carolina Eyck and Clarice Jensen: Tiny Desk Concert

Jan 11, 2019

Carolina Eyck, the first artist to bring a theremin to the Tiny Desk, plays the air with the kind of lyrical phrasing and "fingered" articulation that takes a special kind of virtuosity.

Classical

Deceptive Cadence

The exterior of Casa Verdi, founded by famed Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi in the late 1890s.

For Opera Singers, Life After Retirement — At Least At One Very Special Rest Home

Jan 10, 2019

Founded by composer Giuseppe Verdi and funded by royalties from his popular operas, Casa Verdi in Milan opened a century ago as a home for opera musicians in their golden years.

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Music Interviews

Andrea Bocelli (center) and his son, Matteo, attend the U.K. premiere of Disney's <em>The Nutcracker And The Four Realms</em> on Nov. 1, 2018, in London.

Andrea Bocelli Passes The Art Of Expressive Singing To His Son

Jan 02, 2019

Superstar Andrea Bocelli has sung with just about everyone, from Celine Dion to Ariana Grande. On his latest album, Sì, Bocelli tries something new — singing with his son.

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Music News

Rachel Barton Pine's <em>Blues Dialogues</em> album and Music by Black Composers educational project are part of a mission that stretches back more than 20 years.

For One Violinist, Elevating Music By Black Composers Is A 20-Year Mission

Jan 01, 2019

Composers of color have long had to compete with dead white men for space on the concert stage. A new project, spearheaded by Rachel Barton Pine, seeks to correct that for the next generation.

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Classical

Best Music Of 2018

The debut album by the Aizuri Quartet is called <em>Blueprinting</em>.

NPR Music's Best Classical Albums Of 2018

Dec 18, 2018

The music on our list takes you to Tsarist Russia, the New Mexico desert, 18th century Spain, the austere landscapes of Iceland and Vienna, at the dawn of the 20th century. Happy travelling.

Classical

Music Interviews

"The continuous impromptus of performing after car bombs, I believe that it is an empowering element of solidarity...," Karim Wasfi says.

Karim Wasfi's 'Spontaneous Compositions' Aid Stability In Iraq

Dec 15, 2018

Renowned Iraqi conductor and cellist Karim Wasfi tells NPR's Scott Simon about his music, the challenges of his work and his commitment to his country.

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Music Interviews

Jacob Collier describes his new project,<em> Djesse (Vol. 1),</em> as "maximalism in the name of minimalism."

Jacob Collier Makes Staggering, Complex Music Feel Effortless

Dec 12, 2018

Host Ari Shapiro speaks with singer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier about his latest project, a four-album odyssey called Djesse, the first volume of which is out now.

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Deceptive Cadence

The Cleveland Orchestra, with its music director Franz Welser-Möst, at Severance Hall, the orchestra's home since 1931.

Cleveland Orchestra At 100: The Heartland Band With The World Class Sound

Dec 11, 2018

Who knew that a little orchestra in America's Midwest, born in 1918, could grow up to be one of the world's best? Through a century of trials and triumphs, the Cleveland Orchestra still shines.