Search results for

Since the Harlem Renaissance, African-American musicians have portrayed black history as extended musical works. Jazz is full of such long-form compositions. Hear five examples from composers such as Oliver Nelson, Wynton Marsalis and Duke Ellington.

From the radiant voices of a Latvian choir to a fresh young string quartet and a seasoned symphony, NPR's Tom Huizenga and host Jacki Lyden spin an eclectic mix of new classical releases.

Up until recently, the likely composers of the great American symphony looked remarkably similar: all white, overwhelmingly male. But recent developments have opened up the doors to composers who were once lost to history.

As a fledgling classical soprano in New York, Norman went to hear singers like Mabel Mercer perform. She tells WBGO's Rhonda Hamilton that her study of jazz vocalists influenced the way she interprets songs — including operatic arias.

Even if the simple mechanics of "Chopsticks" elude you, you can still experience the rush of playing a piano concerto -- by exercising. The pieces in this mix are not recommended for the faint of heart.

Blackshaw is an exhilarating and thoughtful guitarist with an ever-expanding ear. Though he often deals in labyrinthine patterns and hypnotic repetition, his new album feels more like a collection of individual songs meant to be heard in succession. Hear All Is Falling in its entirety now.

The composer's innovations have been distilled and polished to a new, compelling sheen in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet and the new, rock-inflected 2x5. Hear both works here until they're released on Sept. 14.

From Spanish lullabies and moonlit nights, to the fluttering wings of a persistent little barn owl, NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and host Guy Raz spin a mellow mix of new releases.

The new 103-CD Jascha Heifetz box set presents a vast trove of fantastic fiddling over a seven-decade career, from his first recording session as a teenager to his final recital in 1972.

Can classical music get down and party? Some jazz musicians sure think so.