San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
‘Proud to protest’
In ‘Elegy,’ classical composer Carlos Simon uses music to express frustration and anger, giving way to hope
“Each of us has to do our part with our own particular gift. My gift is music. There’s hope, I like to believe. It’s about what people do after they hear my music — how they respond to it.” Carlos Simon
In 2015, rising classical composer Carlos Simon wrote “An Elegy: A Cry From the Grave.” He dedicated it to Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and “others murdered wrongfully by an oppressive power.” Simon’s reaction to the killings was a powerful musical mix of frustration, anger and fear.
“Here was a young man who could have been me — or any Black man in America,” Simon said in a recent phone interview. “Murdered in cold blood. I could physically feel the fear.
“Music is a physical, tactile thing, releasing that energy out. I went to the keyboard and improvised. I didn’t think; I just let my feelings go. It’s therapy for me.”
“Elegy” appeared on Simon’s 2018 CD “My Ancestor’s Gift,” which incorporates spoken word and historic recordings with his original compositions. He wrote “Elegy” as a string quartet.
It’s one of three pieces that will be featured in the San Diego Symphony virtual concert Friday. Unsurprisingly, “Elegy” has been performed more often since the May 2020 killing of George Floyd dramatically heightened the awareness of police violence and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“The interest in ‘Elegy’ has grown exponentially,” Simon said from his Maryland home near Georgetown University, where he’s an assistant professor in the performing arts department. During the pandemic, Simon has been working from home with his wife, pianist Leah Claiborne.
“These issues have come to light and sparked questions, not only in the music world but where people of color are marginalized,” he said. “‘Elegy’ is a representation of that. So I have seen quite an increase in inquiries for the piece.”
Earlier this year, Simon won the prestigious Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which promotes Black and Latinx musicians on the classical concert stage.
The San Diego Symphony has programmed more pieces by living composers than many other big orchestras. But it’s still unusual for an established orchestra to present such an overtly political, contemporary work.
The symphony’s principal bass, Jeremy Kurtz-harris, performed Simon’s “Between Worlds” in its virtual concert honoring Black composers in September. Kurtzharris will be part of the quartet presenting “Elegy” here.
“I was impressed the symphony decided to program ‘Elegy,’ ” Kurtz-harris said. “Art of any sort is most powerful when it is reflecting the full human experience. And sometimes, if we allow ourselves to really look at that reflection, it inspires and urges us to work towards being a part of a different and better future.”
Simon grew up in a small city next to Atlanta. His entire family, which boasts four generations of preachers, sang or played music in the church.
“If you’ve been to an African American Pentecostal church, you know people are free to worship however they want to,” said Simon, now in his mid-30s. “I’ve embedded my upbringing and background into my music, whether it’s improvising or purposely putting in certain idioms of gospel and jazz. I’m always drawing from that background.
“I’m not a preacher, though. I like to say that music is my pulpit.”
During his 20s, Simon was keyboardist and music director for two award-winning singers: R&B vocalist Angie Stone and Broadway star Jennifer Holliday. Each stint lasted about three years.
He learned a lot working with each. While Stone was “hard” on him, Simon recalled, she helped him learn to connect emotions to the music he was playing.
Touring with Holliday required working with all-white orchestras.
“Here I was, a young Black director, telling them what to do,” Simon said. “Jennifer’s trust meant a lot. Now, when I speak to orchestras about my music, I do it in a way that demonstrates confidence.”
San Diego Symphony violinist Yumi Cho, who will perform in the “Elegy” quartet Friday, regards Simon as a unique voice.
“He uses a variety of musical elements which set him apart from other composers,” Cho noted. “He distributes the melody in all voices of the ensemble and constantly shifts the underlying harmony. His ability to interlock the melodic and harmonic structure of his piece sets the tone which brings his music to life.”
Simon is delighted to see “Elegy” performed Friday alongside Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 for Winds and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. The program notes include Simon’s written dedication to the slain Black men.
“I’m proud to protest,” Simon said. “Each of us has to do our part with our own particular gift. My gift is music. There’s hope, I like to believe. It’s about what people do after they hear my music — how they respond to it.
“In ‘Elegy,’ the instruments give a sense of the emotional context. The cello is closest to the human voice, so there’s a long solo in the piece. Instruments create certain colors, textures and emotions. Trayvon and Michael are crying out.”