NPR Music

As one of the most-performed living composers, the Pulitzer winner insists that her music communicate to everyone — from farmers to children to the classical music intelligentsia.

The pontiff, who possessed a sizable record collection, was a keen listener. Hear his favorite tracks — from Bach to Piazzolla — and a few more that might have caught his discerning ear.

His wife, Fresh Air host Terry Gross, said the longtime contributor to The Village Voice and NPR had been living with emphysema and Parkinson's disease.

On their new album, two of the most celebrated composers and players in the jazz world pay homage to the pursuit of purpose and joy found in the struggle for liberation.

The famed Frenchman brings all his elegance and colorful playing to music by Ravel, Brahms and Villa-Lobos.

The soprano and her pianist husband offer a deeply considered look at the human condition through seven distinct songs.

The rising harpist explores spirituals, musical ancestors and the influence of church on her new album, Take Me to the Water.

The rising composer talks about the influence of the church on his music and the premiere of his Good News Mass at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The 88-year-old composer, who talks as fast as the interlocking phrases of his music, looks back on crucial moments in a career that moved minimalism into the mainstream.

One of the first modern women composers to reach international acclaim, Gubaidulina wrote bold music, inspired by Eastern and Western philosophies, and the joy of sound itself.