Topic: Carnegie Hall

Doc Watson: North Carolina's blind guitar picker extraordinaire

Doc Watson, one of America's greatest folk musicians, passed on Tuesday. Doc Watson won eight Grammy Awards and influenced a generation of guitar players.

Running With the Kenyans

In a move that is alternately naive, courageous, and entertaining, British journalist Adharanand Finn transplants to Kenya to learn from the world's best runners.

Obama speech: great theater, uncertain policy

Obama's speech to Congress last night was impressive, but will the Obama speech outshine the actual plan?

Betty Ford: A free spirit who became an inspiration to millions

Former first lady Betty Ford's triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became a beacon of hope for addicts and the inspiration for her Betty Ford Center in California. Mrs. Ford passed on Friday.

Sounding together at the Spring for Music festival

The now-annual Spring for Music festival is a place for orchestras to showcase their talent and inventiveness and was held at Carnegie Hall.

Jazz classics that were lost and found

Recently discovered jazz music recordings show improvisation in its heyday.

Top Picks: Easy decorating, 'Birds of the Gods,' and 'Colstrip Montana'

An iTunes app for wall art, birds of paradise in a PBS special 'Birds of the Gods,' 'Colstrip Montana,' a book that changed landscape photography, and more recommendations.

Hitting a high note by helping high school musicians in Seattle shed limitations

Orchestra leader Marcus Tsutakawa and jazz band conductor Clarence Acox inspire music students at Seattle's Garfield High School.

Wyclef Jean: Preacher's son to rap star to presidential contender

Wyclef Jean, president of Haiti? It would cap the Haitian immigrant's trajectory from rebellious preacher's son to millionaire rap star to humanitarian worker.

You say conspiracy, I say 'oops'

From JFK to WMD, conspiracy theories intrigue Americans. But bumbling is usually the best explanation

Last ditch talks collapse - British Airways strike to go ahead

Three-day strike by British Airways is going ahead Saturday.

Sophisticated puppetry draws young and old in month-long Chinese festival

Quanzhou Marionette Theater is part of the “Ancient Paths, Modern Voices” bicoastal celebration of Chinese culture.

Symphonies gingerly embrace digital performers

Pushed to cut costs and attract new audiences, some experiment with laptops.

Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff

Garry Shandling's humor on DVD, an Italian cook's life in paperback, Cuban music after Castro, and more.

Artists in survival mode as market crumbles

As galleries cut back and sales plummet, many artists are struggling to scrape by with odd jobs.

YouTube cyber-orchestra puts a new spin on traditional auditions

Website’s invitation to audition by video for its new online orchestra rewrites the finely tuned art of judging a musician’s talent.

YouTube spotlights classical musicians with 'Internet symphony'

Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff

Delightful 'Pushing Daisies' now out on DVD, surging dance music from Congo's Kasai Allstars, a documentary about the fabled Warner Bros. studio, and more.

A California financier emerges as one of the nation’s most prolific philanthropists

Bernard Osher, called the ‘quiet giver,’ donates large sums to education and the arts.

USA

Six picks: recommendations from the Monitor staff

A crab-boat saga, Marvin Gaye on PBS, a LEGO-building website, and more.

Crossover duo Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter make classical rock

She's a concert violinist; he's a folk rocker. Together they're blending genres on a US tour.

Percussionists drum up interest among orchestra fans

A few composers are seeing new possibilities for percussion concertos. At least four such pieces are scheduled in the US over the next month.