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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See and hear examples of politically dogmatic — but extravagantly assembled — operas and ballets born during the Cultural Revolution. Glamorous photo stills by Zhang Yaxin of works like Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy were recently shown in Canada. -
The refreshingly open American mezzo Joyce DiDonato doles out some great advice — and not just to aspiring singers. In her latest YouTube video, she tackles subjects ranging from alienation to friendships to creating a life free from expectations of what's "right."
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The legendary musician, widely adored by brass players and fans around the globe, spent 53 years as the principal in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He died Saturday at age 91. Watch some of his performances, including an extraordinary Mahler Fifth Symphony.
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The versatile composer, violinist and vocalist is one of just a handful of female musicians to earn the prize — and, at age 30, the youngest music winner ever.
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The English conductor was knighted in 1980 and won three Grammys — but did not reach the real heights of his career until he was in his sixties and seventies. Famed for his interpretations of Berlioz, Sibelius and Mozart as well as contemporary composers, he died at age 85 on Sunday.
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The story of how legendary violinist Bronisław Huberman used his prestige and fame toward a heroic end inspired a documentary film. See the trailer and learn more about the founding of what became the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
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A beloved regional orchestra in Minnesota ends months of labor difficulty by replacing union musicians with unpaid community members. Hear the result — you won't believe it.
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Before Easter, hear five powerful and diverse musical portrayals of Jesus' last days and crucifixion, from Bach's monumental St. Matthew to Golijov's brilliant Latin American mashup to a dark and terrifying Russian vision from Sofia Gubaidulina.
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Meta music: Mozart's Orientalist fantasy, tweaked by Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say.
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With Passover beginning, Jews around the world prepared to commemorate this major holiday with food, prayers and songs. We're on the hunt for music that helps spool out stories of enslavement and liberation.
