Sunday, October 2, 2016

Alvin Singleton: American Composers Orchestra: Carlos Simon Wins $15,000 Underwood Commission


Carlos Simon

Composer Alvin Singleton writes of Carlos Simon:

A Morehouse man!!

American Composers Orchestra

ACO has awarded composer Carlos Simon its 2016 Underwood Commission, bringing him a $15,000 purse for a work to be premiered by ACO on May 23, 2017, at Symphony Space in New York City. Chosen from seven finalists during ACO’s 25th Underwood New Music Readings on June 13 and 14, 2016, in one of the most coveted opportunities for emerging composers in the United States, Carlos won the top prize with his work Plagues of Egypt.
Carlos says, “I am extremely grateful to be chosen for this prestigious opportunity. As a composer, there is no greater honor than to express my gifts through such amazingly talented musicians. I cannot wait to work with Maestro Manahan and ACO.”

Carlos is a versatile composer, arranger and musician, combines the influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism in his music. He was named the winner of the 2015 Marvin Hamlisch Film Scoring Contest. Serving as music director and keyboardist for GRAMMY Award winner Jennifer Holliday, he has performed with the Boston Pops Symphony, Jackson Symphony and the St. Louis Symphony. Carlos is currently earning his Doctorate at the University of Michigan, where he has studied with Michael Daugherty and Evan Chambers. He received his master’s degree from Georgia State University and his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College. He taught music theory at Morehouse. For the 2015-2016 season, Carlos served as the young composer-in-residence for the Detroit Chamber Strings and Winds

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