Chris Thile joined the National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Eric Jacobsen in concert at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, to perform his narrative song cycle ATTENTION!, and more this past April. Also on the program were works by Bach, Beethoven, Dvořàk, and Ellington, and Caroline Shaw. You can watch them perform "Julep," from Punch Brothers' 2015 album, The Phosphorescent Blues; the Allegro from Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor; and "The Rooftop," from ATTENTION!, here.

"It's a real break. It's a real historical break from, like, anything goes ... to suddenly no, I want one chord," composer Steve Reich says of the cultural shift in his lifetime to new musical ideas by American composers, in a new video from Boosey & Hawkes for its America at 250 series. "I want to be able to hear the details that come out of staying put. It isn't recognized what a change happened in my lifetime. I'm proud, delighted, and pleased to have been a part of it." You can see what else he had to say here.

"More than 50 years later, this ensemble has forever changed the shape and sound of classical music," Jon Fasman says in a feature on Kronos Quartet on The Economist's The Intelligence podcast. "Kronos has also delighted in breaking genre barriers. They’ve played pieces by some of the greatest living classical composers, including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley. But they’ve also played songs by Thelonius Monk and Jimi Hendrix. At its core, though, Kronos has dedicated itself to expanding chamber music repertoire ... Throughout it all, they’ve developed and performed scores rich with depth and meaning." You can hear the feature, including conversations with Kronos's David Harrington and Paul Wiancko, here.

Rhiannon Giddens and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway perform at Newport Folk Festival and tour the Northeast. Makaya McCraven leads NYC Blue Note residency. Ambrose Akinmusire concludes Asia tour in Hong Kong and Seoul. Jeremy Denk and Joshua Bell perform Mozart and Beethoven in Rockport, MA. Hurray for the Riff Raff joins Norah Jones on tour in Boise and Walla Walla. Lianne La Havas is in DC. Davóne Tines joins Minnesota Orchestra for Beethoven’s Ninth in Brainerd, MN. Yasmin Williams is in Ohio.

“I think a lot of my stuff is weirdly joyful about mortality, and this is no exception,” Caroline Shaw tells GBH News’ James Bennett II. The two sat down at the Newport Classical Music Festival last weekend for a track-by-track tour of her new album with Sō Percussion, Rectangles and Circumstance, as well as a conversation about songwriting, collaboration, copyright law, and more. You can listen to their conversation here.

"I love this idea of 'intersection' for inspiration when it comes to describing American music or its characteristics," classical singer Julia Bullock says in a new video from Boosey & Hawkes for its America at 250 series. "There's no apology for where those inspirations are coming from, so whether it's directly quoting or imitating the sort of collage and then the depth of expression that can come out of the layering effect, I put all these things together because it brings me great pleasure and joy and often surprises me tremendously." You can watch it here.

Ambrose Akinmusire kicks off a weeklong Asia tour at Blue Note Tokyo. Hurray for the Riff Raff is at GRRRL Camp in Nebraska. Cécile McLorin Salvant is in Souillac, France. Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion perform Rectangles and Circumstance at Newport Classical Music Fest. Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway play Grey Fox Bluegrass Fest and join Old Crow Medicine Show in Boston. Yasmin Williams tours New England with The Crane Wives.

Congratulations to Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, who have been nominated for eight IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards! Tuttle and the band are up for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, and Album of the Year for City of Gold (which won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album). Tuttle is nominated for both Female Vocalist of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes for Fiddle Player of the Year and New Artist of the Year. Additionally, Jerry Douglas, who produced City of Gold with Tuttle and is up Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year, will be inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. The IBMA Music Awards will be held September 26 in Raleigh.

DAVÓNE TINES & THE TRUTH’s new work ROBESON, which premiered last month at NYC’s Little Island, is due September 13 on Nonesuch. In ROBESON, Tines’ solo recording debut, the musician grapples with the legacy of a hero. Exploding the musical repertoire of Paul Robeson, Tines and his band the Truth—pianist John Bitoy and sound artist Khari Lucas—take listeners on a trip from the stage of Carnegie Hall to the floor of a Moscow hotel room in an attempt to understand an icon not through aspiring to his monumentality, but through connecting to his vulnerability. The album track “THE HOUSE I LIVE IN" and a video for it directed by Tines are available today.

The original score for Ken Burns’s new two-part documentary, LEONARDO da VINCI, with new compositions by Caroline Shaw, is available via Nonesuch on October 25; the documentary airs on November 18 and 19 at 8pm ET on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS App. The album features performances by the composer’s longtime collaborators Attacca Quartet, Sō Percussion, and Roomful of Teeth as well as John Patitucci. Shaw wrote and recorded new music for LEONARDO da VINCI, marking the first time a Ken Burns film has featured an entirely original score. You can watch the video for “Intentions of the Mind" here. In a special event at The Town Hall in NYC October 29, the musicians will perform from the score, and the filmmakers will preview excerpts from the film.

"Critics are rightfully raving that Tony Award–winning Broadway smash Illinoise is a thrilling, genre-defying musical," exclaims Whoopi Goldberg, introducing the show's company to perform the song "The Man of Metropolis" on The View. You can watch it here.

Kronos Quartet founder, artistic director, and violinist David Harrington stopped by for the Nonesuch Selects video series, in which artists visit the Nonesuch office, pick some of their favorite albums from the music library, and share a few words on their choices. He chose recordings by Carlos Paredes, Dumisani Abraham Maraire, Astor Piazzolla, and Steve Reich.