Anastasia Tsioulcas
Anastasia Tsioulcas is a reporter on NPR's Arts desk. She is intensely interested in the arts at the intersection of culture, politics, economics and identity, and primarily reports on music. Recently, she has extensively covered gender issues and #MeToo in the music industry, including backstage tumult and alleged secret deals in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against megastar singer Plácido Domingo; gender inequity issues at the Grammy Awards and the myriad accusations of sexual misconduct against singer R. Kelly.
On happier days, Tsioulcas has celebrated the life of the late Aretha Franklin, traveled to Havana to profile musicians and dancers, revealed the hidden artistry of an Indian virtuoso who spent 60 years in her apartment and brought listeners into the creative process of composers Steve Reich and Terry Riley.
Tsioulcas was formerly a reporter and producer for NPR Music, where she covered breaking news in the music industry as well as a wide range of musical genres and artists. She has also produced episodes for NPR Music's much-lauded Tiny Desk concert series, and has hosted live concerts from venues like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York's (Le) Poisson Rouge. She also commissioned and produced several world premieres on behalf of NPR Music, including a live event that brought together 350 musicians to debut a new work together. As a video producer, she created high-profile video shorts for NPR Music, including performances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a Brooklyn theatrical props warehouse and pianist Yuja Wang in an icy-cold Steinway & Sons piano factory.
Tsioulcas has also reported from north and west Africa, south Asia, and across Europe for NPR and other outlets. Prior to joining NPR in 2011, she was widely published as a writer and critic on both classical and world music, and was the North America editor for Gramophone Magazine and the classical music columnist for Billboard.
Born in Boston and based in New York, Tsioulcas is a lapsed classical violinist and violist (shoutout to all the overlooked violists!). She graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a B.A. in comparative religion.
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WCPE had deemed operas dealing with race and LGBTQ issues "unsuitable" for broadcast. They reversed course "after careful deliberation...and hearing from our supporters, listeners and the public." -
The Mexican American songwriter and producer earned nearly twice as many nods as his closest competitors, which include three of his collaborators: Colombian artists Camilo, Karol G and Shakira. -
Audiences may have only just learned about a fast-rising country singer during the Republican debate Wednesday night. But "Rich Men North of Richmond" also has ties to extremist narratives. -
Billy McFarland, the man convicted of defrauding investors and music fans with his non-existent Fyre Festival in 2017, has started selling tickets to a new festival in the Caribbean in 2024.
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Clarence Avant, who boosted the careers of generations of musicians, entertainers, sports stars and politicians, has died. He was 92.
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Clarence Avant boosted the careers of a vast array of influential figures, including Michael Jackson, Jim Brown and Barack Obama. He came back into the news after his wife was murdered in 2021. -
An eight-hour concert Friday night was a procession of generations of hip-hop royalty, from the Sugar Hill Gang to current stars like Lil Wayne. Run-DMC gave what was billed as their last performance. -
The rapper was convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July 2020 as they left a party in Los Angeles. Prosecutors argued that Tory Lanez had tried to turn public opinion against the victim. -
Rapper and producer Tory Lanez was expected to be sentenced Monday for shooting fellow artist Megan Thee Stallion. He shot her in the foot in July 2020 as they left a party in Los Angeles.
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The opera star who once sang on stages around the world suddenly pleaded guilty to sexual assault on Friday. The assaulted man, singer Samuel Schultz, reflects on the experiences he has endured.
