Carlos Simon (composer)

[1] Born in Washington, D.C.,[2] and raised in Atlanta, Simon is the son of a preacher[3] and grew up in a household where he was forbidden to listen to anything other than gospel music;[4] he has described gospel's improvisatory nature as a critical influence in the development of his own compositional style,[3][4] alongside the more formal elements of the work of such composers as Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms.

[6][7] In 2024, the Boston Symphony Orchestra announced as its inaugural Deborah and Philip Edmundson Composer Chair, a position lasting three-seasons in which he will lead educational and outreach concerts, collaborate with Andris Nelsons to curate programs, and compose several new works for the Boston Symphony to perform.

[6][7][10] Simon's music is informed by his interest in social justice issues, and frequently incorporates activist themes in his work; such pieces include Elegy for string quartet, honoring the memories of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner,[6][7] and Requiem for the Enslaved, in which African-American spirituals are combined with the Latin mass and elements of hip hop to tell the story of the 1838 sale of slaves to discharge the debts of Georgetown University.

[9] In 2023, Simon received a Grammy Award nomination for his album, Requiem for the Enslaved in the category of Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

[14] On September 5, 2024, Georgetown University announced Simon as one of the recipients of The Magis Prize, which is awarded to recently-tenured scholars who are making a remarkable impact in their field.