Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

Music

Omaur Bliss finds hope in hip-hop

Omaur Bliss finds hope in hip-hop

A lot of rappers in the Twin Cities hip-hop scene will admit their songs are like pages ripped from their own lives. Many touch on the danger and difficulty of life on the streets. Perseverance in the face of struggle is a common theme. But few have emerged from such hardships with as much optimism and hope as Minneapolis rapper Omaur Bliss.
by Chris Roberts

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

A new opera aims to reveal the beautiful soul of the Elephant Man

A new opera aims to reveal the beautiful soul of the Elephant Man

The tragic story of the Elephant Man is the tale of a beautiful soul trapped inside a ghastly body. His story has inspired a play, a movie and most recently a French opera. The Minnesota Opera opens the U.S. premiere of "Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man" on Saturday.
by Karl Gehrke

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Rainer Maria - in studio

Rainer Maria - in studio

Rainer Maria got together in Madison, Wisconsin. they have since moved, like many a rock band, to Brooklyn. For the past decade the trio has worked at expanding their musical style and while managing to keep devoted fans through all the changes.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

New Classical Tracks: Nicola Benedetti

New Classical Tracks: Nicola Benedetti

A leading music industry producer has been hired to transform young violinist Nicola Benedetti into a major international superstar without changing her image as a promising young musician. They've collaborated on Benedetti's first CD, a recording of three Romantic concertos.
by Julie Amacher

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

A new way to do doo-wop

A new way to do doo-wop

Some say "doo-wop" music went out of favor when the Beatles and other British groups invaded America in the early 60s. Doo-wop enjoyed a resurgence a decade or so later when nostalgia for the 1950s became embedded in popular culture. Now a group in Minneapolis is putting its own imprint on the genre.
by Chris Roberts

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Teen musicians face off in groups of four

Teen musicians face off in groups of four

String quartet competitions for high school students are rare. Organizers of the first St. Paul String Quartet Competition are introducing the idea to the Twin Cities and hope the competition will become an annual event.
by Karl Gehrke

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Thunder in the Valley - in studio

Thunder in the Valley - in studio

Award-winning Minneapolis band Thunder in the Valley has been compared to Tom Waits, Sixteen Horsepower, and DeVotchKa, but they have a style unmistakably their own.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

New Classical Tracks: Kissin and Levine

New Classical Tracks: Kissin and Levine

Last May, more than 2,000 lucky ticket holders were on hand for a rare performance of Schubert's piano duets with two world-class performers, James Levine and Evgeny Kissin. With the release of this new, live recording, you can be a witness to that sold-out Carnegie Hall performance too.
by Julie Amacher

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Old violins and new technology

Minneapolis is a new center for the sale and preservation of violins from the 18th and 19th century. In the past these instruments were worked on in places like Italy, London and New York. But new technology has enabled people involved in violin restoration to live anywhere.
by Greta Cunningham

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.