Van-Anh Vanessa Vo: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Van-Anh Vanessa Vo is a veteran when it comes to taking risks, and it pays off in her compelling music. As a young girl in Vietnam, she knew she wanted to be a traditional musician, even though it was a world dominated by men. It was risky, then, when she pestered a master teacher for three years to give her lessons. He finally gave in, taking her on as an apprentice. Vo also takes risks in blending East with West in her music. She lends a trippy sound to Frenchman Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 3, performed