"It's like an engine for the world. And when we don't have that—we can't not have that ... It's like we're compelled to do it," Cécile McLorin Salvant says of the arts on the series How Art Changed Me from New York PBS station WNET's ALL ARTS. "For me, singing and music has been a way to really be direct and say what I mean and what I feel ... There's so many different ways to express these emotions that feel maybe a little too earnest in real life." You can see what else she has to say here:

Salvant, who won the Jazz Journalists Association's 2024 JJA Jazz Award for Female Vocalist of the Year last month, released her latest album, the GRAMMY-nominated Mélusine, on Nonesuch last year. The album is a mix of originals and interpretations of songs dating as far back as the 12th century, mostly sung in French along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyòl. They tell the folk tale of Mélusine, a woman who turns into a half-snake each Saturday after a childhood curse by her mother. "Anyone who thinks they already know the full extent of Cécile McLorin Salvant's artistry should listen to Mélusine without further delay," exclaims Jazzwise. "It's a remarkable recording in several respects. Beautifully recorded, Salvant continues to confound and delight at every turn." 

Cécile McLorin Salvant pianist Dan Tepfer celebrate their French heritage with A French Salon at The Grange in Alresford, United Kingdom, tonight, Friday, and Saturday, as part of The Grange Festival. They are joined by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conductor Gavin Sutherland, and special guest pianist Thomas Enhco, for the program, which includes the world premiere of a song cycle Tepfer wrote for Salvant based on Virginie Sampeur's three last poems; songs made famous by Édith Piaf and Josephine Baker; and works by Ravel and Jacques Brel. For details on these and other upcoming shows, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.