NHPR and the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth announce a new programming partnership bringing performances and the voices of world-class arts from the Hop stage and onto the airwaves.
The first of four episodes of The Hop Sessions: Concerts and Conversations from the Hopkins Center for the Arts launches May 8, 2026 at 7 p.m. Throughout the series select Hop artists will reflect on their creative processes and share stories behind the music.
You can listen online at NHPR.org, on your radio or by telling your smart speaker to “Play NHPR.”
Up first is jazz pianist and MacAuthur Genius Fellow Jason Moran, who performed two distinct shows during his Dartmouth residency. The first is a solo tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington, on what would have been Ellington’s 125th birthday; for the second, Moran brings in the collective power of The Bandwagon. Featuring bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits, this is Moran at his most collaborative.
What to expect from this special series:
- Jason Moran - Friday, May 8
- Elisapie - Friday, May 15
- Kishi Bashi - Friday, May 22
- Sunny Jain - Friday, May 29
“We are so thrilled to deepen our commitment to the Upper Valley through this collaboration with The Hop,” says Emily Quirk, Program Director for NHPR. “It’s a joy to bridge the gap between the stage and the radio, ensuring these incredible performances reach our statewide audiences.”
This new partnership will expand access to culturally diverse music and spoken word programming on NHPR, and showcase artists from across the world whose tours bring them to the stages of the newly renovated “Hop” in Hanover.
Each performance chosen for airing on NHPR reflects a sound-rich experience you can enjoy at home. Woven throughout the hour will be intimate conversations with the artists themselves, in interviews led by The Hop for these NHPR specials.
“At this moment in our world, in American society, in our community, we need artists,” said Michael Bodel, Director of External Affairs at the Hop. “Their music uplifts and their words reveal beautiful insights on culture and the creative process. This collaboration will amplify the powerful messages of the artists we are so proud to host at the Hop.”
This partnership leverages the Hop’s musical and curatorial expertise and access to world-class performers, with NHPR’s production and broadcast capabilities.
For more information or with any questions or feedback, please contact programming@nhpr.org.