Musicians in Their Own Words
Operatic bass Samuel Ramey is best known for singing villains and devils, such as Mephistopheles in Gounod's Faust.
Composers seem to equate villainy with the bass voice. All the better for Samuel Ramey, whose resonant low tones have thrilled opera audiences worldwide as he plays libertines, devils and scoundrels.
Recent Musicians in Their Own Words
March 22, 2009 Colombian Edmar Castaneda uses a traditional country instrument to play jazz.
January 25, 2009 Levy talks about using the instrument he's loved since he was a teen to break musical boundaries.
November 16, 2008 The versatile composer and arranger lends a new voice to an old-school instrument, the viola.
October 25, 2008 The famed violinist discusses his musical influences and a few of his most unusual instruments.
June 16, 2008 The cuatro player and bar owner talks about playing 40-year-old Peruvian music and making it new.
January 12, 2008 The warm-up rituals of musicians like Yo-Yo Ma and Gillian Welch are as distinct as their own music.
August 26, 2007 South African pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim pays tribute to his homeland in his music.
July 6, 2007 Sara Tavares' music mixes sounds, rhythms and language that stretch from Lisbon to Cape Verde.
May 3, 2007 The saxophone player (and Hollywood composer) talks about his role in shaping Art Blakey's band.
April 22, 2007 A young tenor is about to realize a singer's dream — taking the stage at the Metropolitan Opera.
