NPR Classical

To mark the 150th anniversary of the maverick American composer’s birth, pianist Jeremy Denk releases an Ives tribute album that educates, delights and confounds.

The countertenor’s sparkling personality shines brightly in a wide ranging set that includes jazz, classical and spirituals.

Jennifer Koh is shaking up the long-established chamber music series at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. An example of that is her collaboration with pianist-composer Missy Mazzoli.

A box set featuring previously unreleased recordings sheds new light on the life and legacy of Paul Robeson, a bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional football player and activist.

Rapper RZA, who helped launch the Wu-Tang Clan hip-hop group in the 1990s, tries his hand in classical music by composing for a ballet inspired by Greek musical scales during the pandemic.

Three years ago, a group of young musicians from Afghanistan and their teachers fled Kabul to remake their lives as a community in northern Portugal. Now, they are touring the U.S.

The rising young pianist, from a family of seven musical siblings, offers dynamic music by brother and sister Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.

The versatile singer, who emphasizes self-acceptance, says his mission is to be a bridge from the classical community to pop, jazz and R&B. And if you’re not a fan, that’s okay.

Virtuosic pianist and composer Beethoven suffered from several debilitating ailments. A new study suggests lead poisoning may be at least partly to blame.

The name of the great contralto and civil rights icon now lives above the doors to the grand hall in Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.