NPR Staff

Born in 1867, Powell paved the way for female — and American — violinists around the world. In 1904, she was among the first to record her music in a studio. And this year at the Grammys she'll be honored with a Lifetime Achievement award, alongside The Beatles and The Isley Brothers.

The choreographer and dancer says that music "helps us bear the pain through sheer beauty and intensity."

Richard Powers' new novel tells the story of an avant-garde classical composer who finds himself dabbling in DNA. He "gets obsessed with finding music inside of living things," Powers explains, and, as a fugitive, ends up leading officials on a low-speed chase.

Melissa Block talks with Kerry Candaele, director of the documentary Following the Ninth. The film explores how Beethoven's Ninth Symphony continues to "offer hope in an unhappy world."

Celebrated jazz pianist Marcus Roberts is releasing three albums simultaneously. One is a 12-movement suite titled From Rags to Rhythm. The other two are collaborations with the now-famous trumpeter who helped launch his career.

The world-renowned vocal chamber group Hilliard Ensemble will disband in 2014 after 40 years of performing. Host Arun Rath speaking with founding member David James about their final concerts and their new album, Il Cor Tristo.

The 26-year-old classically trained pianist tackles Rachmaninov's dense and intimidating "Concerto No. 3" in a new recording. The musician says she hears a connection between the challenging piece and improvisations from the late Art Tatum.

Jazz bassist and composer Ben Allison looks back on an era when sci-fi sounds began infiltrating popular music, and discusses his new album, The Stars Look Very Different Today.

Host Rachel Martin is joined by pianist Batiste and his band, who hope to make jazz transcend genres and generations, as they play live at NPR's headquarters.

Polish pianist Slawomir Zubrzycki has brought one of Leonardo da Vinci's lesser-known inventions to life. He spent almost four years building the "viola organista" — a unique musical instrument that looks like a piano but sounds like a quartet of string instruments.