The Takács Quartet — left to right: Edward Dusinberre, Harumi Rhodes, Richard O'Neill and András Fejér — collaborated with composer Nokuthula Ngwenyama (center) to premiere her composition Flow. Cal Performances hide caption
Deceptive Cadence Deceptive Cadence un-stuffs the world of classical music, which is both fusty and ferociously alive.
Deceptive Cadence
From NPR Classical
The 1808 Érard piano that Napoleon gifted to his second wife, Marie-Louise, is on long-term loan from the Museum of Music History to the Cobbe Collection of historic instruments outside London. Museum of Music History hide caption
A scene from Florencia en el Amazonas. Ken Howard/Met Opera hide caption
Finding a place at the Met, this opera sings in a language of its own
The new album of music by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is a warm blanket of comfort in troubled times. Luciano Rossetti/ECM Records hide caption
A disciplined plea for peace – and quiet – from composer Arvo Pärt
Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński also breakdances, two skills showcased in Semele at Munich's Bavarian State Opera this year before it heads to New York's Metropolitan Opera next season. Monika Rittershaus/Bavarian State Opera hide caption
From opera to breakdancing and back again: Jakub Józef Orliński fuses two worlds
STILLPOINT is the first album in 12 years from pianist Awadagin Pratt. Rob Davidson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
The Philip Glass Ensemble performing Music in Twelve Parts at the Idea Warehouse in 1975, with vocalist Joan La Barbara (far left). The Museum of Modern Art/SCALA/Art Resource, N.Y. hide caption
Pianist André Watts, age 16, in rehearsal with the New York Philharmonic for one of Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts. CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images hide caption
Composer Ted Hearne's new choral work, FARMING, takes its texts from Jeff Bezos and William Penn to explore connections between farming, colonialism and capitalism. Peter English/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Soprano Jessye Norman left a number of recordings in the vault at the time of her death. Now some of them have been released for the first time. Decca Archives hide caption
The voice of Jessye Norman soars again in trove of unreleased recordings
Conductor Rafael Payare has released a recording of Mahler's Fifth Symphony and taken it on tour. The music figures prominently in the Oscar-nominated film Tar. Gerard Collett/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Missy Mazzoli's new album, Dark with Excessive Bright, features the composer's orchestral compositions. Caroline Tompkins/courtesy of the artist hide caption
Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 6, 2021. Last week, the mayor of Philadelphia declared it "Philly Loves Yannick Week," in celebration of him extending his contract with the Philadelphia Orchestra for four more years. Chris Lee/Philadelphia Orchestra hide caption
From Beyoncé to Debussy, Yannick Nézet-Séguin shares music that inspires him
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the New York Philharmonic, March 9, 2022. Chris Lee/New York Philharmonic hide caption
N.Y. Philharmonic chief looks to Gustavo 'Dudamel era' after historic appointment
Trade, created by Emma O'Halloran and Mark O'Halloran, will be featured at the PROTOTYPE festival this year. Maria Baranova/Unison Media hide caption
Who says opera needs a grand stage? This festival is all about intimate productions
A photo of Lionel Mapleson, pasted in one of his journals. Alex Teplitzky/NYPL hide caption
This man's recordings spent years under a recliner — they've now found a new home
Angelo Badalamenti in a portrait taken Feb. 9, 1990. The composer, best known for his work with director David Lynch, died Dec. 11, 2022. ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images hide caption
An exterior shot of The Juilliard School in New York City, taken in September 2020. Noam Galai/Getty Images hide caption
A 2005 exterior shot of The Juilliard School, which is located on the campus of Lincoln Center in New York City. Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
The classical singer Julia Bullock has released Walking in the Dark, her debut solo album. Grant Legan/Nonesuch Records hide caption
With a bold debut album, Julia Bullock curates an unconventional career
Julia Bullock's Walking in the Dark is one of NPR Music's top 10 classical albums of 2022. Photo illustration: Jackie Lay/NPR / Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images hide caption
Composer Ned Rorem in 1953 in Paris, where he lived for nearly a decade and wrote his infamous Paris Diary. Provided by the artist hide caption
Composer Julia Wolfe at the Nashville Symphony Orchestra's world premiere of her piece Her Story on Sept. 15, 2022. Kurt Heinecke/Nashville Symphony hide caption