Tom Cole
Tom Cole is a senior editor on NPR's Arts Desk. He develops, edits, produces, and reports on stories about art, culture, music, film, and theater for NPR's news magazines Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, and All Things Considered. Cole has held these responsibilities since February 1990.
Prior to his work with the Arts Desk, Cole worked for three and a half years as an associate producer for NPR's daily classical music program Performance Today, and also for Morning Edition, where he coordinated, edited, and produced arts and culture stories.
From April 1979 to July 1986, Cole worked for NPR Member station WAMU-FM in Washington, DC. He was the production manager for the daily operation of studios, and also served as a reporter, writing and producing music features that were broadcast locally and nationally. In addition, from October 1985 to November 1986, Cole worked for Voice of America as a producer for VOA Europe.
Since 1977, Cole has been the host and producer of a weekly three-hour program of music and interviews broadcast on public radio station WPFW-FM in Washington.
Over the course of his career, Cole has produced or collaborated on a number of public radio projects. He co-edited the Peabody Award-winning NPR documentary, "I Must Keep Fightin': The Art of Paul Robeson." He was also an advisor, contributor, and co-editor of the Peabody Award-winning series, "The NPR 100," the top 100 songs of the 20th century.
A native of Washington, DC, Cole has studied classical guitar at The American University and privately. He also studied comparative literature at Catholic University in Washington, DC, and at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.
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Guitarist Julian Bream, who died Friday at the age of 87, was as important to the history of classical guitar as Andres Segovia. -
Want to start the new year with some new music? Weekend Edition has you covered with a new genre every week this month. -
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. -
His precise technique and big ears made him the "Michael Jordan" of his instrument. These days, he doesn't tour any more, but he's still making albums for his own label. -
The jazz-rock pioneer passed away in his sleep Feb. 19 in New York City. -
One of the most respected jazz guitarists working today, the Austrian musician has spent his career straddling borders, be they sonic or geographic. -
Derek Gripper's exploration of West African kora music has produced two acclaimed albums — and, he says, a better understanding of the classical music he played as a kid. -
The Belgian-American musician, also known for his guitar playing and whistling, performed with the stars of postwar jazz and was widely heard on film scores and commercial jingles. -
The guitarist's custom seven-string axe lets him create a deeply funky bass line and a Hendrix-like melody — at the same time. -
The jazz guitarist has a new record out with an old quartet, playing music that deals, in part, with the death of Scofield's son.
