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Music

Filmmaker David Lynch, composer Angelo Badalamenti and singer Julee Cruise in 1989

Angelo Badalamenti, Who Composed Ethereal Scores for ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Blue Velvet,’ Dies at 85

He was one of David Lynch’s closest collaborators—and wrote one of TV’s most memorable themes

Stephen Sondheim sitting in a recording control room in 1987

Cool Finds

Stephen Sondheim’s Lost College Musical Was Found Hidden in Plain Sight

Live recordings from “Phinney’s Rainbow” had been sitting on a journalist’s bookshelf for years

Singer Celine Dion on stage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.   

What Is Stiff Person Syndrome? Celine Dion Announces Diagnosis of Rare Disease

The neurological disease affects about one to two people in a million

Beethoven’s handwritten manuscript for the fourth movement of his String Quartet in B-flat Major

Nazi-Looted Beethoven Manuscript Returned to Original Owners

The Czech Republic’s Moravian Museum gave the document to the heirs of the Petschek family

The dilapidated jet has been sitting at the Roswell Air Center in Roswell, New Mexico, for decades.

Elvis Presley’s Private Jet Is Going Up for Auction

The famous singer bought the JetStar in 1976, a year before his death

This year’s picks include Fresh Banana Leaves, Origin and Starry Messenger.

The Best Books of 2022

The Ten Best Science Books of 2022

From a detective story on the origins of Covid-19 to a narrative that imagines a fateful day for dinosaurs, these works affected us the most this year

“It was traumatizing to watch such an important icon of civilization go up in flames,” composer Julian Anderson says.

‘Litanies,’ Inspired by Notre-Dame Fire, Receives Prestigious Music Award

Julian Anderson’s 25-minute concerto won the 2023 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition

Christine McVie performing in Bloomington, Minnesota, in 1990

Christine McVie, Singer-Songwriter Behind Some of Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits, Dies at 79

For decades, she was a powerful creative force in one of history’s most popular rock bands

Many of the cast members of KPOP are K-pop stars themselves, including lead actor Luna.

K-Pop Comes to Broadway

The new musical “KPOP” opened in New York City with an almost entirely Asian American cast

Before changing his name to Bob Dylan, the popular singer-songwriter was Robert Zimmerman.

What Bob Dylan Wrote in His High School Love Letters

A collection of notes from the musician to his girlfriend sold for nearly $670,000 at auction

Angel Blue performing in the 2021 production of Fire Shut Up in My Bones at the Met.

Covid-19

Can Pathogens at the Opera Haunt a Performance?

New results show performers’ breath control can prevent disease from spreading

Celia Cruz (above in 2001 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.) was "a phenomenon," says the Smithsonian's Ashley Mayor, one of the organizers of the new exhibition "Entertainment Nation," opening in December at the National Museum of American History.

The Stars Are Aligned at the National Museum of American History

The Enduring Legacy of Celia Cruz, the ‘Queen of Salsa’

The performer’s vivacious life takes the stage as part of the new Smithsonian exhibition, “Entertainment Nation”

The study found that the human particpants and rats jerked their heads in a similar rhythm as the songs played. 

Watch These Rats ‘Dance’ to the Rhythms of Mozart, Lady Gaga and Queen

Moving accurately to a song’s beat was long thought to be a skill unique to humans, but new research suggests rats can do it, too

Bob Dylan performing in San Francisco

Bob Dylan Analyzes 66 Songs in New Essay Collection

“The Philosophy of Modern Song” offers a peek into the artist’s approach to songwriting

Billie Jean King wore this dress when she beat Bobby Riggs, a former number-one male player, during the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes.”

The Stars Are Aligned at the National Museum of American History

What America’s Pop Culture Says About the Nation Itself

A new permanent exhibition offers proof that popular entertainment can be more than just a diversion

In 1966, the Beatles released Revolver, an album that was scores more experimental than their previous work.

Art Meets Science

The Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ Reissue Is Here—With a Little Help From A.I.

New technology offers new insights into the 1966 album’s 14 tracks and 2 singles

The “Ole Bull” Stradivarius, made in 1687, photographed with flowers and props reminiscent of a Dutch still life from the period.

When It Comes to String Instruments, Stradivariuses Are Still Pitch Perfect

Even after three centuries of their existence, the violins spark debate over what makes their sound special

The enigmatic John Smith Hurt, shown in 1966, was a pioneer of the vital American art form known as Mississippi Delta blues.

A Pilgrimage to Honor a Blues Legend

With a mysterious memento from long ago in hand, a devoted fan of the blues artist Mississippi John Hurt returns to the Delta

Singer Claire L. Evans of YACHT performs in Los Angeles.

Art Meets Science

How Artificial Intelligence Helped Make an Experimental Pop Album

YACHT’s “Chain Tripping,” made using only A.I.-generated melodies and lyrics, is the subject of a new documentary

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues explores the legendary singer and trumpet player's life and legacy.

This Rap Documentarian’s Latest Subject? Louis Armstrong

Sacha Jenkins tells the jazz musician’s story through rarely-seen archival footage and letters

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