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The Van Cliburn Foundation's Fifth annual International Competition for Outstanding Amateurs is underway this week. NPR's John Ydstie talks to one of the semifinalists, 46-year-old Greg Fisher, a former child prodigy who has worked at his family's glass and mirror installation company in Edmond, Okla., for the past 30 years.

No woman in the history of country has cried as eloquently as Smith has. The album title, The Cry from the Heart, is the answer she's given over the years when asked to define country music.

Country music star Vince Gill has a new four-disc collection of new music. Each disc covers a different genre, spanning traditional country and bluegrass, "modern" country, rock and jazz. Music critic Christian Bordal has a review.

Bass baritone opera star Samuel Ramey has made a career out of playing demonic characters on stage. But he tells Scott Simon that in his early years he listened to the likes of Elvis Presley and Pat Boone.

Fresh Air's rock critic reviews Revival, the new solo album from the onetime Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman. It's out Oct. 2, with 12 new originals from the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer.

The Pulitzer Prize winner, whose music enveloped everything from the horrors of the Vietnam War to the calls of humpback whales, died Sunday.

OutKast's Antwan "Big Boi" Patton is working on an unusual collaboration with the Atlanta Ballet. Initially, some patrons were freaked out by the idea of mixing hip hop and their sacred dance form. Through the rehearsal process, however, the project is gathering fans.

Greenwood says writing the music for The Power of the Dog allowed him to experiment by mixing a banjo and a string quartet. He also recently scored Spencer and Licorice Pizza.

The British have had a long love affair with American soul music. The Motown and Stax labels were popular in the London clubs of the 1960s, while "rare grooves," or obscure singles, were fuel for the Northern Soul movement of the 1970s and 1980s. These days, the British are making their own soul music.

The 2004 movie Garden State transformed the Shins from a little known indie-rock band to a mainstream sensation. Their eagerly awaited new album is out today. The album shows the Shins expanding their sound without losing the melodic pop-writing they're known for.