In 'Great Scott,' Joyce DiDonato Leads An Opera Within An Opera
The new Dallas Opera production is a meta-story about the value — and cost — of great art.
Music Interviews
Rod Stewart Picks Up The Pen
At age 70, after a long affair with soul standards and the American Songbook, Stewart has warmed up to writing his own material again. He joins Scott Simon to discuss the new album Another Country.
The Music Of 'The Martian,' Deconstructed
In an conversation from the Song Exploder podcast, score composer Harry Gregson-Williams explains how he matched moments to melodies in the new film, which stars Matt Damon as a stranded astronaut.
Richard Strauss' Musical Mountain Climb
Marking the 100th anniversary of An Alpine Symphony, take a guided tour through Strauss' evocative music with conductor Semyon Bychkov and author David Hurwitz as trail guides.
'Modern Girl' Carrie Brownstein Describes Finding (And Hiding) Herself In Music
The Sleater-Kinney guitarist and singer is known for her defiant performances, but it was vulnerability that initially drew her to music. Brownstein's new memoir is Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl.
Harris J: Pop Music Meets Islam
The 18-year-old British singer says his faith is a misunderstood one. He's hoping his music will help change that.
G. Love & Special Sauce: Still Cooking
Ten albums in, the Philly trio continues to serve up a potent mix of blues, R&B and alternative hip-hop. G. Love joins host Rachel Martin to talk about the new album Love Saves The Day.
From Shirley Bassey To Sam Smith, Bond Songs Remain A Pop Oddity
Scott Simon speaks with the authors of a new book about the two dozen theme songs produced by the James Bond films, and what they say about the times in which they were written.
From Coltrane To The Club, A Few Fresh Sounds In Jazz
Musician Jamie Cullum visits Weekend Edition to share a roundup of favorite new releases from contemporary jazz acts.
Joanna Newsom On Nabokov, Songwriting And Music Journalism
A decade after her breakout debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender, Newsom unvelied her fourth album, Divers, this week. She speaks with NPR's Scott Simon.