Who Got Next? Vol. II: Asian Composers of the 21st Century

In this episode of Sounds Classical, LaRob and Kristina showcase the composers “who got next!” Showcasing a playlist of their favorite composers who have been active in the last 20 years, evolving the genre as we know it, including Reena Esmail, Chen Yi, Vijay Iyer, and Viet Cuong!

Celebrating Asian American Heritage in Chicago: 13 Events for May!

The umbrella of Asian American Pacific Islander — or AAPI — heritage covers a vast range of cultures, making for a huge variety in the types of events hosted all around the city.

Studs waltzes along with the Newberry Library’s latest dance exhibit

Studs Terkel was known for a lot of things-his Pulitzer Prize-winning oral histories, his seemingly boundless appetite for life, and even his penchant for cigars. One of Studs’ less well-remembered legacies, however, is his tremendous admiration for the art of dance.

VIDEO | Hear one of the world’s most ancient and romantic instruments: the santoor

Pandit Satish Vyas visited the WFMT studios to perform on what he considers to be one of the most meditative and romantic instruments in the world: the santoor. It’s also one of the most ancient.

VIDEO | Watch this Chinese opera artist transform into a Dragon Princess – in seconds

Getting into full costume and makeup to perform Chinese operas takes hours. You can see an artist from Chongqing Chuanju Opera Theatre transform herself in seconds.

Video | Watch Two of the World’s Best Tabla Players (Who Also Happen to Be Father and Son)

Watch Anindo Chatterjee and his son Anubrata prove why they are two of the best percussionists in the world.

Forget Coffee: This Afternoon Raga Is Exactly What You Need to Get You Through Your Midday Slump

Sitarist Gaurv Mazumdar has been making music since he was a child, though first as a singer and violinist. Later, he began studying sitar with Pandit Ravi Shankar. Since, he has collaborated with some of the greatest musicians from different traditions, from internationally acclaimed veena player Jayanthi Kumaresh to legendary composer Philip Glass. In 2004, Mazumdar was nominated for a …

Sitarist Anoushka Shankar on Sexism, Collaboration, Her Return “Home” to the United States

“The word ‘collaboration’ is an umbrella term, really. One doesn’t just get up on stage and ‘jam’ with an orchestra the way you might with a guitarist or someone else.”

“Rhythm is universal”: Tabla Player Zakir Hussain on Music, Politics, & Cross-Cultural Collaboration

When Zakir Hussain, one of the world’s greatest percussionists, speaks about his childhood in Mumbai, it’s easy to understand how his career has led him to collaborations with diverse artists from Ravi Shankar to Yo-Yo Ma to Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead. “Every day I grew up studying the Quran, singing Christian hymns, and playing Hindu devotional music,” Hussain said …

Natya Dance Brings the Ancient Art of Bharatanatyam to Modern Audiences

Thousands of years before European ballet was born, Bharatanatyam flourished in India. The ancient art of Bharatanatyam seems to be having a bit of a moment in modern times. Months after appearing in Chicago, dancer Aparna Ramaswamy recently made her debut at the Joyce Theater in New York: one small step for a Bharatanatyam dancer, one giant, dazzling leap for Bharatanatyam …

Guggenheim Fellow Rudresh Mahanthappa On Creating Music that Defies Genre

To label Manhathappa’s music simply as a fusion between Carnatic music and jazz would be reductive. If, anything, it represents “the beautiful multicultural state of affairs of the United States right now.”