Anastasia Tsioulcas
Anastasia Tsioulcas is a reporter on NPR's Arts desk. She is intensely interested in the arts at the intersection of culture, politics, economics and identity, and primarily reports on music. Recently, she has extensively covered gender issues and #MeToo in the music industry, including backstage tumult and alleged secret deals in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against megastar singer Plácido Domingo; gender inequity issues at the Grammy Awards and the myriad accusations of sexual misconduct against singer R. Kelly.
On happier days, Tsioulcas has celebrated the life of the late Aretha Franklin, traveled to Havana to profile musicians and dancers, revealed the hidden artistry of an Indian virtuoso who spent 60 years in her apartment and brought listeners into the creative process of composers Steve Reich and Terry Riley.
Tsioulcas was formerly a reporter and producer for NPR Music, where she covered breaking news in the music industry as well as a wide range of musical genres and artists. She has also produced episodes for NPR Music's much-lauded Tiny Desk concert series, and has hosted live concerts from venues like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York's (Le) Poisson Rouge. She also commissioned and produced several world premieres on behalf of NPR Music, including a live event that brought together 350 musicians to debut a new work together. As a video producer, she created high-profile video shorts for NPR Music, including performances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a Brooklyn theatrical props warehouse and pianist Yuja Wang in an icy-cold Steinway & Sons piano factory.
Tsioulcas has also reported from north and west Africa, south Asia, and across Europe for NPR and other outlets. Prior to joining NPR in 2011, she was widely published as a writer and critic on both classical and world music, and was the North America editor for Gramophone Magazine and the classical music columnist for Billboard.
Born in Boston and based in New York, Tsioulcas is a lapsed classical violinist and violist (shoutout to all the overlooked violists!). She graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a B.A. in comparative religion.
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A study released by the Musicians' Union in the U.K. says that many musicians with full-time, salaried jobs are struggling to pay their bills. Two-thirds say that they have considered other careers. -
A collaboration between three prominent artistic voices — singer Lawrence Brownlee, composer Tyshawn Sorey and poet Terrance Hayes — examines what it means to be a Black man in America today. -
The orchestra launched an independent investigation into an accusation made by one of its former interns. She is one of ten women to publicly accuse Dutoit of sexual misconduct. -
On Friday the Boston Globe published allegations accusing of the conductor of sexual, emotional and physical abuse in the 1960s and '70s, in behavior that former students describe as "cult-like." -
He recorded more than 40 solo albums and performed with musicians ranging from Harry Belafonte to Paul Simon. Masekela died after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer. -
The violinist, composer, conductor and mentor of generations of string players was 97 years old. -
Charles Dutoit has been accused by four women of sexual assault in incidents that allegedly occurred between 1985 and 2010. -
Following published accusations of sexual abuse and molestation against conductor James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera has suspended him after a four-decade relationship. -
The wide-ranging composer, drummer, pianist and trombonist has been defying easy category since childhood. Now only 37 years old, he's just getting started. -
Known as La Divina — "The Divine One" — Callas was an indelible presence whose artistry made her the icon and envy of performers across many genres.
