Categories
Contemporary American

SIMON, Carlos

Man in orange suit sitting with orange backdrop
Photo by Kendall Bessent; courtesy of the composer’s website

Born in Washington, D.C., 1986

  • As a composer, Simon’s work ranges from concert music for large and small ensembles to film scores with influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism. 
  • As of early 2025, Simon is currently the Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the inaugural Boston Symphony Orchestra Composer Chair, and was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY award for his album Requiem for the Enslaved. He is also an associate professor at Georgetown University.
  • In 2021, Simon received the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization to recognize extraordinary classical Black and Latinx musicians.1

Learn More
Composer’s Website

Sources

  1. “Biography,” Carlos Simon, accessed February 4, 2025, https://www.carlossimonmusic.com/biography.

Pieces