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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The federal trial in New York against R&B star R. Kelly heads into its fourth week. There's been a long line of alleged victims, former employees and others who have already testified against him.
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Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears, petitioned a court to end his controversial conservatorship. Under that legal arrangement, he had controlled all aspects of her life for the past 13 years.
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Greek composer and politician Mikis Theodorakis has died. He was 96 years old. His music for Zorba the Greek was full of joy — but his own story was much more complicated. -
Jamaican producer Lee "Scratch" Perry has died at age 85. His idiosyncratic work in reggae and dub had an oversize impact on popular music around the globe.
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A federal trial involving disgraced singer R. Kelly has begun in a Brooklyn courtroom. The charges against Kelly include sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, kidnapping and racketeering.
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Opening statements have begun in the federal trial of R. Kelly, who faces charges of sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, kidnapping, forced labor and sexual trafficking across state lines.
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The charges that R. Kelly faces in New York include racketeering "to prey upon young women and teenagers" and sexually trafficking these girls and women between states. -
On Wednesday, the parties involved in the pop icon's conservatorship head back to court for the first time since Britney Spears spoke to the judge last month. Here's who the main players are. -
Britney Spears asked an LA County judge to end her father's control over her life via a conservatorship. Musicians, especially female ones, have been subject to various forms of control for decades.
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Pop icon Britney Spears is scheduled to speak in court on Wednesday as part of her ongoing conservatorship case. Here's a guide to help understand why she's there and what's going on. -
Two literary stars from Nigeria are engaging in a very public feud — a fight that is both personal and also enfolds bigger questions about feminism, gender identity and social media. -
Ned Beatty, a veteran character actor who worked in film, television and theater, has died at age 83. He was best known for his memorable performances in Deliverance, Network and Superman.
