NPR Music

06/15/2026

South Africa lost one of its musical icons Monday when Abdullah Ibrahim died at the age of 91. Read about his eight-decade career via our link in bio.

06/15/2026

Gershwin! Dvořák! Debussy! Stravinsky! The new 3-disc set from French sisters Katia & Marielle Labeque features highlights from their 55 years of piano duets, as well as several new recordings fans haven’t heard before.

🎧 Listen to our review via the link in bio.

06/15/2026

Abdullah Ibrahim, the South African jazz pianist deemed his country's equivalent to Mozart by Nelson Mandela, died Monday in his adopted home of Germany after a short illness. He was 91 years old.

The South African musician's "Mannenberg" was often called his country's unofficial anthem during the final years of apartheid.

06/08/2026

James Blood Ulmer, the fearless free-funk and jazz artist who followed his unorthodox path to a singular five-decade career, has died.

The fearless free-funk and jazz artist, a student of Ornette Coleman's Harmolodics concept, followed his unorthodox path to a singular five-decade career.

05/26/2026

Rest in peace, Sonny Rollins. A true titan of jazz.

The legendary jazz saxophonist, who revolutionized the art of improvisation, died Monday at his home in Woodstock, N.Y.

05/18/2026

From worst to first: We've ranked the 20 musical guests from the 51st season of Saturday Night Live.

The latest season of Saturday Night Live felt transitional in many ways, but it was full of blockbuster pop stars, up-and-coming bands and musical legends. We ranked them from worst to best.

05/12/2026

Our annual contest to find the best unsigned band in the country has a winner.

The winner of the 2026 Tiny Desk Contest is revealed by NPR Music's Bobby Carter. It's the 12th time that an unsigned musical artist has won the nationwide challenge.

05/04/2026

Composer Gabriela Lena Frank created her own symphonic fable that weaves Andean cosmology with the natural world -- and won a Pulitzer Prize.

The composer created her own symphonic fable that weaves Andean cosmology with the natural world.

04/30/2026

The Cure are back on the pop charts, thanks to Olivia Rodrigo.

Olivia Rodrigo's third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, doesn't come out until June. But it's already off to a tremendous start on this week's Billboard charts.

04/15/2026

Jury finds that Live Nation and Ticketmaster acted as a monopoly

An antitrust suit alleged that the company unfairly controlled too much of the live music industry at the expense of venues, artists and fans. The decision could reshape the industry.