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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One of the most prominent composers of the late 20th century has died. Georgia's Giya Kancheli wrote music full of light, shade and an incandescent longing. He was 84 years old. -
The announcement that the opera megastar is stepping down as the company's general director comes in the midst of two formal investigations into accusations of sexual misconduct made by 20 women. -
The opera star, who has been accused by 20 women, was scheduled to perform Verdi's Macbeth starting on Wednesday night. In an email, he told Met staffers that he will never perform there again. -
The 42-year-old singer was removed from a Royal Opera tour of Japan after alleged sexual misconduct. Grigolo's suspension comes amidst a wider discussion about the subject in the opera world. -
In a closed-door meeting with the company's chorus and orchestra, General Manager Peter Gelb argued that the Met has no reason to investigate the famed opera singer or to cancel his performances. -
One of opera's most popular and bankable stars is scheduled to sing at New York's famed opera house next week. But a number of Met employees say that they find the situation untenable. -
Since August, 20 women have made allegations against the highly influential opera star via reports published by The Associated Press. A spokesperson for Domingo disputed the report. -
The Black contralto put European art music and African-American spirituals in parity — and in her art, paved the way for generations of singers after her, both inside and outside classical music. -
The women — eight singers and a dancer — told The Associated Press that the opera titan tried to pressure them into sexual relationships by offering them jobs. -
University of Michigan memos obtained by NPR detail multiple, serious allegations, including an accusation that Daniels solicited students in exchange for money — a potentially criminal offense.
