Composer in residence: Carlos Simon en zijn Gardner Suite

Carlos Simon

American composer Carlos Simon holds a residency at the Concertgebouw this season. 'A dream,' according to him. What he writes is based on his background as a Black American in the southern United States. His sources of inspiration? Tchaikovsky, Stevie Wonder, but also African traditions, spirituals, blues, and gospel music. 'My father is a minister; music is a way of preaching for me,' says Simon. His goal is to help others through his music. 'The most beautiful thing that can happen to me as a composer is when someone comes up to me and says they are moved by my music.' Tonight, several movements from Between Worlds by him will be performed. A musical study in which Simon attempts to capture in notes the complex worlds in which his compatriot Bill Traylor—who was born into slavery and died after World War II—lived. This will be followed by the European premiere of Simon's Gardner Suite .

Gardner Suite

For his Gardner Suite , for which The Concertgebouw is a co-commissioner, Carlos Simon drew inspiration from artworks in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. "From the collection of hundreds of sculptures and paintings carefully curated by Isabella Gardner herself, I selected six works to create a musical soundtrack," says Simon, citing paintings by Fra Angelico and Rembrandt, among others. "I imagine listeners walking through the museum while simultaneously enjoying the music and the visual works. My goal was to create a musical landscape for these works." Since Boston is not exactly around the corner, the New European Ensemble in the Small Hall is providing the sounds for an imaginary museum tour.