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Nico Muhly

The Collaborative Concept Album 'Planetarium' Captures Cosmic Grandeur And Desolation

Part of the cover art for Planetarium, the concept album by Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, James McAlister and Bryce Dessner. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Review

Music Reviews

The Collaborative Concept Album 'Planetarium' Captures Cosmic Grandeur And Desolation

Four talented musicians — Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, James McAlister and Bryce Dessner — joined forces to create a constellation of sound dedicated to the planets, black holes and comets.

The Collaborative Concept Album 'Planetarium' Captures Cosmic Grandeur And Desolation

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Planned Parenthood Benefit Will Include New Music From Sleater-Kinney and Feist

Sleater-Kinney (from left, Janet Weiss, Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker) will release new music as part of a series to benefit Planned Parenthood. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The New Yorker hide caption

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Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The New Yorker

The Record

Planned Parenthood Benefit Will Include New Music From Sleater-Kinney and Feist

A long list of artists contributed work to the series, including Feist, Bon Iver, Sleater-Kinney, Nico Muhly, Björk, Laurie Anderson and many more.

Songs We Love: Nico Muhly, 'Whispered and Revealed'

Nico Muhly's new holiday song is based on Longfellow's poem Snow-flakes. Matthew Murphy/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Matthew Murphy/Courtesy of the artist

Review

Deceptive Cadence

Songs We Love: Nico Muhly, 'Whispered and Revealed'

Hear a deceptive take on the winter blues by way of a versatile choir, a young New York composer and a 150-year-old poem by Longfellow.

06Whispered and Revealed

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  • Buy Featured Music

    Song
    Whispered and Revealed
    Album
    Holiday Harmonies: Songs of Christmas
    Artist
    Essential Voices USA
    Label
    Sono Luminus
    Released
    2015

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Hilary Hahn, 'In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores'

In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores comes out Nov. 11. Michael Patrick O'Leary/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Patrick O'Leary/Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

Hilary Hahn, 'In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores'

The resourceful young violinist asked for brand-new encores — and, boy, did she get them. Hear fascinating works by 27 contemporary composers, written especially for Hilary Hahn.

In 27 Pieces

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album is released.
NPR Classical's Best Albums Of The Year (So Far)

One of our favorite albums so far this year is by violinist and composer Todd Reynolds. Mark Kingsley/Innova records hide caption

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Mark Kingsley/Innova records

Deceptive Cadence

NPR Classical's Best Albums Of The Year (So Far)

Discover our favorite classical picks from 2011's first half, and vote for a few of your own.

NPR Classical's Best Albums Of The Year (So Far)

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Nico Muhly Composes Andrew Jackson's One-Man Majority

Official White House portrait of Andrew Jackson. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Wikimedia Commons

Deceptive Cadence

Nico Muhly Composes Andrew Jackson's One-Man Majority

Composer Nico Muhly is at work on an opera for the Met. Here he makes music with seven words from our seventh president.

Sing Out, Mr President: Andrew Jackson's One-Man Majority

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First Loves: Nico Muhly, Beguiled By Byrd

As a boy chorister, Nico Muhly was inspired by the melding of words and music by William Byrd. Samantha West hide caption

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Samantha West

Deceptive Cadence

First Loves: Nico Muhly, Beguiled By Byrd

The composer recalls his youth as a chorister, and the special feeling he had for the music of William Byrd. Its beauty was powerful enough to open the door even wider into a vast world of music.

Nico Muhly: Senex Puerem Portabat (Los Angeles Master Chorale/Grant Gershon)

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New York Program Helps Young Musicians 'Face The Music'

Luis Diaz (from left), Jenny Undercofler (music director), David Valbuena, Nico Muhly (composer), Haley Gillia, Ramin Abrams, Ethan Cohn and Amanda Lubin of Face the Music. Joan Jastrebski hide caption

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Joan Jastrebski

Music News

New York Program Helps Young Musicians 'Face The Music'

Face the Music is inspiring teenagers to look more closely at contemporary music. The program trains teens in traditional classical music and allows them to work with living composers such as 29-year-old Nico Muhly. Face the Music will perform at Merkin Concert Hall Thursday night, and at the Bang on a Can Marathon next month.

New York Program Helps Young Musicians 'Face The Music'

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