Evidence of thawing relations between the United States and Iran will take center stage tonight in, of all places, Duluth. But before the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra played even a rehearsal note of Hooshyar Khayam's "Kalileh" [...] the Iranian composer and Warren Friesen were busy together in the LSCO conductor and artistic director's kitchen last Saturday.

The UK comes top of the table with an unmatched combination of strong assets across all categories of soft power. The UK does particularly well on Culture, Digital, and Global Engagement.

The Obama administration quietly brought in a group of Iranian musicians to learn about American folk music. It was a small diplomatic gesture, but one the White House hoped would help ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran, two longtime foes. 

To mark what would have been Frank Sinatra’s centennial year, Duke University Professor Shalom Goldman explores Sinatra’s deep connection to Israel. [...] Goldman sat down with The Jerusalem Post to discuss the connection between Israel and American popular culture.

The U.S. Department of State praised the Carnegie tour as an important "cultural pillar"  for the two countries. Dignitaries from China and the United States attending the banquet included former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, Carnegie Hall Executive and Artistic Director, Clive Gillinson and renowned composer, Tan Dun.

Violinist Won Hyung Joon wants to bring North and South Korean musicians together next month to perform on each side of the world's most heavily armed border. Standing in the way is the rivals' long, frustrating inability to move past their painful shared history.

This is Suzi Analogue here. If you’re now tuning in, ki kati from Kampala, Uganda. I am here, live in East Africa, from NYC (by way of a handful of other dope East Coast cities) instructing a beatmaking class at a cultural center here for youth. My background is a producer/songwriter. The class is a part of a cultural diplomacy program called Next Level that shares hip-hop around the world as a way for us to promote peace and understanding worldwide.