
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 music mogul was found guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution, but the jury found him not guilty on three counts related to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
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After 12 hours of deliberation, the jury told Judge Arun Subramanian that it had decided on counts related to sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution but not yet on racketeering.
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The hip-hop mogul faces an overlapping set of charges that include sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. The jury resumes deliberations on Tuesday.
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Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo called the tumultuous relationship between Combs and singer Cassie Ventura "a great modern love story," and sought to dismantle the credibility of key witnesses.
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On the witness stand on Wednesday, the singer at the center of the prosecution's case testified that her decade-long relationship with Combs was ruled by fear and violence.
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The pop star caught the top spot while her other single, “Espresso,” is still holding strong at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile: yes, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is still No. 1 over on the Billboard 200 albums chart — we’re at week nine and counting.
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For a seventh straight week, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department rules the Billboard 200. On the singles chart, Eminem references both the Steve Miller Band and his own past glory.
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Hardy was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 2004, and also had laryngeal cancer.
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For a sixth straight week, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department rules the Billboard 200. The songs chart also features a returning champion: Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen.
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The producer and songwriter for Beyoncé and Rihanna was sued in federal court Tuesday by a former protogée.