NPR Classical Stories

As a Syrian glassmaker created his wares in Damascus, watching his craft reminded this reporter to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Even among ATLiens, Kenny Mason is an outlier. As he faced a creative crisis — and commercial pressures — the rap-rock iconoclast realized that he feels most comfortable on the fringes.

Tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana and pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba interpret the soul of the Latin American song book at El Tiny.

Danny Bones is supposedly a working-class British rapper popular among far-right groups thanks to his lyrics about immigration, national identity and a broken Britain.

Los Angeles-based composer Charles-Henri Avelange wrote a score to honor firefighters almost 20 years ago. After last year's wildfires in Los Angeles, he’s made headway in finally recording it.

The Contra-ICE Vol. 1: ICE OUT album features contributions from over 30 artists, including Kathleen Hanna, Fred Armisen and Tom Morello to create a historical and artistic record of this moment.

A 300-year-old Mexican musical tradition is finding new life around the world — one sweaty, joyous, all-night fandango at a time.

Singer songwriter Angela Autumn's music starts with her Appalachian roots and then takes some surprising turns. She talks about the experiences that inspired the songs on her new album, 'Believer'.

Talent and a special kind of passion landed Micah Johnson in Major League Baseball. When a mental health crisis pushed him out of the sport, he turned his drive to another field entirely: fine art.

The singer Tinashe has a new album out Friday. It's called Popstar.