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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Nearly 300 young musicians, their teachers and staff from their music school fled Afghanistan in fear for their lives as the Taliban took power. NPR caught up with them during their U.S. tour, -
In an age of constant digital distraction, people are turning their study and work sprints into virtual grind sessions on YouTube — and getting tens of millions of views.
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Swift's The Tortured Poets Department has been the biggest album in the country for 12 consecutive weeks, the longest run atop that chart of her career. -
Ever since his 2016 campaign, former President Trump has struggled to attract support from high-profile musicians and entertainers. Here is who is playing tonight at the RNC. -
This week, Shaboozey becomes only the second Black artist ever to top Billboard's pop and country singles charts at the same time. The first, earlier this year, was his collaborator, Beyoncé. -
Women are dominating the charts, from established singers like Taylor Swift, to newer chart topper Charli XCX.
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After briefly ceding to Sabrina Carpenter, “I Had Some Help" is back on top of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is still No. 1 over on the Billboard 200 albums chart — she’s holding strong at ten weeks. -
The Billboard albums chart is showing signs of a summer slump, as even the biggest records experience dips.
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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. -
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.
