Music

National

Conductor Julian Wachner charged with possession of child sex abuse material

Anastasia Tsioulcas

Once a prominent musician in New York City, Wachner was working as a grade school teacher in Indiana. Prosecutors have accused him of possessing sexual abuse imagery of young children.
Politicians keep using songs on social media. What if an artist doesn't like it?

Isabella Gomez Sarmiento

Having a song go viral is usually good news for an artist. But as politicians become more social media savvy and jump in on viral trends, how can musicians respond if they don't like the way a party or administration uses their song?
Arts & Culture

Ópera de Tijuana: 25 years of passion and perseverance

Matthew Bowler

A small group of opera lovers launched Ópera de Tijuana 25 years ago. The company has since become a cultural force in Mexico’s second-largest city.
Economy

Brands are loving Taylor Swift's engagement. Do they need to calm down?

Rachel Treisman

Companies from Pillsbury to Invisalign to Olipop are cheering — and trying to cash in on — the couple's engagement. Experts spoke to NPR about how brands can strike a better balance.
'KPop Demon Hunters' and Conan Gray set new benchmarks on the charts

Stephen Thompson

This week, Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem sits at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart again. But the two titles just below it are making the most noise: Conan Gray's Wishbone and KPop Demon Hunters, which pulls off something no soundtrack has ever accomplished.
In his new album, Trombone Shorty pays tribute to his hometown of New Orleans

Reena Advani

Michel Martin

Trombone Shorty releases new album from New Orleans, a tribute to the city's soul, marking the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
National

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are in their engagement era

Juliana Kim

The singer-songwriter announced the engagement Tuesday on Instagram, with the caption: "Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married."
Library of Congress acquires only known lyrics sketch of 'Over the Rainbow'

Chloe Veltman

Scrawled in pencil on a scrap of yellow legal paper by lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, the artifact is among dozens of treasures from The Wizard of Oz donated by composer Harold Arlen's sister-in-law Rita Arlen.
'That Wasn't A Dream': Palladino, Mills team up for another album of instrumental craftwork

Scott Simon

Dave Mistich

Jacob Fenston

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to renowned bassist Pino Palladino and guitar virtuoso and producer Blake Mills about their second full-length collaboration, "That Wasn't a Dream."
How Yunchan Lim changed my mind about Tchaikovsky's 'Seasons'

Tom Huizenga

In a new album, the youngest ever Van Cliburn winner puts his own stamp on Tchaikovsky's undervalued set of piano pieces called The Seasons.