Jae-Ha Kim

The son of a Nigerian psychiatrist and a Grenadian nurse, Kevin Olusola enrolled at Yale University intending on pursuing a medical career. But the classically-trained cellist and innovative beatboxer couldn’t resist entering the “Celebrate and Collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma” international competition, where he won second place. As a member of the a cappella group Pentatonix, the 24-year-old musician and his bandmates won the third season of the NBC reality series “The Sing-Off.”

Born in China, classical pianist Lang Lang splits his time between New York City and Beijing — when he’s not touring, that is. The 30-year-old musician travels about nine months each year for his concerts, his work with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and his International Education Foundation, which helps inspire kids through classical music. His latest CD, “The Chopin Album,” is now in stores.

When Jennifer Knapp decides to take time off, she really goes for it. When the 36-year-old singer from Kansas wanted to reassess her life, she took seven years off and spent a good chunk of that time exploring Australia. She didn’t return to the United States until she was good and ready to start recording again. And she announced that she was gay.

Scott Simon, National Public Radio host and author, chose a subject close to home for his latest book, “Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption” (Random House, $22). He and his French wife, former film producer Caroline Richard, have adopted two daughters from China and his poignant and witty memoir speaks not only of their family’s experiences, but also those of other adoptive parents, such as “Freakonomics” author Steven Levitt. Simon, 58, resides on the East Coast with Richard and their daughters Elise and Lina. Currently on a nationwide book tour, Simon’s tour dates are available on his website (www.scottsimonbooks.com).

Sports Illustrated writer Peter King knows his football. The winner of this year’s Dick McCann Memorial Award for his coverage of the game, King has written a new book — Sports Illustrated: Monday Morning Quarterback: A Fully Caffeinated Guide to Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the NFL, which will be in stores Oct. 13. The 52-year-old Boston resident includes his list of all-time favorite players in the book. But here, King tells us about some of his favorite places to travel.