Deep Cuts

Plagues and epidemics are ages-old phenomena. They've triggered both fear and inspiration. NPR's Tom Huizenga surveys musical responses from composers over the centuries.

Brain scans show that when people listen to songs, an area in the left hemisphere decodes speech-like sounds while one on the right processes musical information.

Here at Classical MPR and American Public Media, we each have our own opinions about what is the most romantic instrument. Here's the input from current and former members of our classical staff.

The harp is perhaps an instrument that has one of the strongest stereotypes associated with it. Why do we think of such a narrow image of harp players? Learn how gender roles and stereotypes have changed for the instrument throughout the years.

Do you believe in ghosts? Composers from Mozart to John Corigliano have written them into their operas. Take a tour of some famous operatic phantoms.

Why do we call it a 'French horn' when it isn't French at all? Horn player Emily Green dives into why so many U.S. classical fans have been calling the popular brass instrument by the wrong name for so long.

So you're sailing down the Pacific Coast Highway in your 1964 Ford Mustang convertible (with the top down, of course), and "Blue Moon," sung by the Marcels, comes on the radio. What do you do? C'mon — admit it — you sing along with the bass line! You can't help it. Why? Because singing bass, especially in a choir, is awesome!

When life is hectic or you need a break from the news, feel better and live bigger with classical music. This week, Classical MPR host Scott Blankenship shares a playlist full of "Nature and Nostalgia."

Jennifer Higdon didn't start composing until she was 21, but that late start hasn't stopped her from becoming one of the world's most in-demand composers.

When a stunning celestial display makes you want to break out in song, cue up some classical music that features the moon in a starring role. Here’s your must-hear lunar soundtrack.