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From concert halls across the nation, Perfomance Today presents Christmas Around the Country, a celebration of holiday music in America. NPR's Fred Child hosts the one-hour special, with music from the Boston Camerata, the St. Olaf Choir and others.

The music of Mikhail Glinka earned him credit for launching Russian nationalism. But his most famous opera, "A Life for the Tsar," is filled with the music of Poland, not Russia. Musicologist Richard Taruskin explores national identity in music.

NPR's Alex Chadwick talks with Chris Douridas of member station KCRW in Santa Monica, Calif., about up-and-coming musician Ray LaMontagne, a former shoe factory worker with a distinctive singing voice and signature songwriting style who now has a hit debut album, Trouble.

Outrageously sexy, multi-talented entertainer Eartha Kitt has been igniting crowds for more than half of a century. Kitt turns 78 years old this January, but still has that legendary velvet purr to her voice. Kitt recently sat for a chat with reporter Allison Keyes about her latest project — a stage play called Expectations.

Minnesota Public Radio's Brian Newhouse hosts one of the oldest musical celebrations of Christmas in the United States, the St. Olaf Christmas Festival. Started in 1912, the festival features more than 500 student musicians from the famed college choirs and orchestra.

Beth Nielsen Chapman's songs have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Faith Hill and other major artists. On her new collection of Latin hymns, the singer-songwriter finds a different voice within to sing the spiritual songs of her Catholic youth.

Not so long ago, World Music occupied about a bin's worth of space in the back corner of your local record store. Now it gets its own aisle in national chain stores. We tour The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to World Music.

The 15th Annual Billboard Music Awards will be presented Wednesday night in Las Vegas, Nev. NPR's Alex Chadwick brings you the nominees in the "Ringtone of the Year" category.

Award-winning saxophonist and composer Paul Winter presents his annual Winter Solstice Concert -- a musical, theatrical and environmental spectacle celebrating the return of the sun after the longest night of the year.

Oscar Brown Jr. travels the United States to tell stories of African-American history. His song "Bid 'Em In" — in which he plays the part of a slave auctioneer — prompted an animated short film now eligible for an Oscar. Hear Brown and NPR's Tavis Smiley.