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On June 7, 1958, Prince was born. For 35 years, Prince was one of the most critically respected musicians in pop music; in the 1980s and early 1990s, he dominated the pop and R&B charts in a way that very few have.
The library has recently added its first scores by the Korean composer Yun Isang (윤이상 / 尹伊桑) to our collection.
On May 29, 1913, Igor Stravinsky's ballet, The Rite of Spring was performed for the first time. Vaslav Nijinsky was the choreography, and the ballet was performed by the Ballets Russes under the direction of Sergei Diaghilev.
Fats Waller was born on May 21, 1904. Waller was a pianist, singer, and songwriter whose innovations helped create the foundation of modern jazz piano.
On May 14, 1952, David Byrne was born. Byrne is a singer-songwriter who led the band Talking Heads in the 1970s and 1980s. His later solo career has featured collaborations with a wide range of artists.
Imagine the pop songs of American Idol crossed with the national fervor of the Olympic Games. That's the Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place this week in Lisbon, Portugal.
On May 3, 1960, the musical The Fantasticks opened at the Sullivan Street Playhouse, a small theater in New York's Greenwich Village. The production ran for more than 41 years, making it the world's longest-running musical.
Sergei Prokofiev was born on April 27, 1891. Prokofiev was one of the most popular composers of the 20th century, with important works that are part of the standard repertoire in nearly every genre – symphony, opera, ballet, piano music, chamber music.
On April 16, 1930, Herbie Mann was born. Mann was a jazz flutist whose blending of jazz with other styles was often looked down on by jazz purists, but made him one of the best-selling jazz musicians of his era.
The very first Coachella Festival was held over the course of two days in October 1999. It was developed by Rick Van Santen and Paul Tolett of Goldenvoice, who wanted to start a music festival similar to British and European festivals such as Glastonbury and Roskilde.