Carlos Simon Announces Gospel Mass with Los Angeles Philharmonic 

Following his appointment as the inaugural Composer Chair at the Boston Symphony and extension as the Kennedy Center’s Composer-in-Residence, Carlos Simon continues his meteoric rise with the announcement of a new commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  

His Gospel Mass, which receives its world premiere at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on April 17 – 18 2025, is a groundbreaking 30-minute, multimedia piece that reimagines the traditional catholic mass to offer a new perspective on its traditional liturgy. 

Alongside LA Philharmonic, Simon’s Gospel Mass is co-commissioned by the National Symphony and Boston Symphony orchestras, as well as the Sphinx Organization, which is set to premiere an excerpt of the piece in January 2026. Further international partners of the work are still to be announced. 

Simon’s Mass is a celebration of Black joy and an homage to the resilience of the Black community, drawing on a rich tapestry of gospel music, spirituals, and classical forms. The work is amplified by a collaboration with acclaimed music video director Melina Matsoukas (Queen and Slim, Beyoncé: Formation), incorporating a visual narrative that enhances the musical experience, adding depth and texture to the performance, with libretto from Courtney Ware. 

The world premiere is conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, featuring soloists soprano Erica Campbell, tenor Zebulon Ellis, and baritone Marvin Winans, and is set to be be further enriched by the Sunday Service Collective under the direction of choir master Jason White. 

This works follows a premiere from Minnesota Orchestra entitled brea(d)th (inspired by the enduring presence of George Floyd the Ancestor), as well as commissions from Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Detroit and Colorado Symphonies. Further recent commissions include works for Hilary Hahn and National Symphony Orchestra, who both premiered new works on their recent European tour.

National Symphony Orchestra is also releasing a full album of Carlos’ music, Four Symphonic Works, recorded live at the Kennedy Center and conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. The first EP, Tales: A Folklore Symphony, is out now on all digital platforms, with the next single, The Block, being released on 8 March. 

A full catalogue of Carlos’ work is available here. 

As well as composing works for the concert platform, Simon is very active in the film and TV world, with an upcoming documentary series set for broadcast in early April. Shame of Chicago is a five-part series that lays bare the true stories behind how Chicago and its suburbs devised the nation’s most sweeping system of racially segregated communities and how these policies continue to affect daily life today.