Music News

Violinist William Preucil (left), taking a bow with the Cleveland Orchestra at a 2016 performance in Miami.

Music & Culture

Cleveland Violinist Faces Further Fallout After Sexual Misconduct Allegations

3:47pm July 30, 2018

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

William Preucil, the concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, was suspended on Friday due to sexual misconduct allegations. He has now resigned from one of the nation's top music schools.

Polish jazz trumpet player and composer Tomasz Stanko, performing in Kielce, Poland in 2016. Stanko died Sunday at age 76.

Music & Culture

Tomasz Stanko, A Trumpeter Whose Music Spoke To Freedom, Has Died

2:11pm July 30, 2018

by David R. Adler

The polish trumpet player and composer died Sunday in Warsaw at age 76. He had enjoyed a major international career in the past 20 years, particularly through his association with the ECM label.

Kendrick Lamar starred opposite 50 Cent in his acting debut on Power.

Music & Culture

Kendrick Lamar's 'Power'-Ful TV Acting Debut Has Been Years In The Making

1:34pm July 30, 2018

by Rodney Carmichael

After his star turn on 'Power', the cinematic sweep of Lamar's music videos deserve a revisit.

Music & Culture

TV Series Examines The Significance Of Trayvon Martin's Death

8:12am July 30, 2018

by Karen Grigsby Bates

A series from the Paramount Network shows how the shooting death of Trayvon Martin six years ago gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement, and an examination of Florida's "stand your ground law."

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Beyoncé performs on stage at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards Inglewood, Calif.

Music & Culture

Turning The Tables 2018 Shows The 'Change Within Tradition'

8:12am July 30, 2018

Ann Powers talks about curating NPR Music's new list of the 200 greatest songs of the 21st century by women and non-binary artists.

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From left: Betty Kelly, Rosalind Ashford and Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas perform circa mid-1964 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.

Music & Culture

Come On Out And Dance

8:21am July 28, 2018

by Scott Simon

The Motown hit landed at a turning point in civil rights — and where Black Power movements flourished, the song followed. Scott Simon explores why, with a little help from singer Martha Reeves.

Violinist William Preucil (standing, left), performing with the Cleveland Orchestra in Miami in 2016.

Music & Culture

Cleveland Orchestra Suspends Lead Violinist After Sexual Misconduct Accusations

8:16pm July 27, 2018

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The suspension was announced Friday, the day after the Washington Post published a story about claims of sexual misconduct within classical music. Preucil is the Cleveland Orchestra's concertmaster.

Manilla Road's Mark "The Shark" Shelton circumnavigated convention to evolve what fans call epic heavy metal.

Music & Culture

Manilla Road's Mark 'The Shark' Shelton, Traditional Metal's Innovator, Dead At 60

4:44pm July 27, 2018

by Lars Gotrich

Shelton was tireless in his pursuit of timeless metal. He died after performing at the Headbangers Open Air Festival in Germany.

Chicano Batman performing at the 2017 Newport Folk Festival

Music & Culture

Stream The 2018 Newport Folk Festival This Weekend

4:02pm July 27, 2018

Hear sets from Courtney Barnett, Margo Price, Lucius, Fantastic Negrito and more during the live stream of the Newport Folk Festival.

Cover art for Chance The Rapper's debut mixtape, 10 Day — it was the first in a "trilogy" of illustrations for the Chicago artist done by Brandon Breaux.

The Artist Responsible For Chance The Rapper's Meme-Inspired Abstract Art

10:56am July 27, 2018

by Vincent Acovino

Illustrator Brandon Breaux has, since Chance The Rapper's debut mixtape, created the evocative portraits used on his covers. But for a recent series, Breaux went abstract — and meme-y.