AAAMC Speaks: Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, A Musical Genius in All Rights

The “AAAMC Speaks” documentary series is an educational resource that centers the legacy of the Black music community and highlights a wealth of materials available within Indiana University's Archives of African American Music and Culture. In each roughly 20-minute episode, AAAMC director Tyron Cooper interviews one pioneer, current industry professional or scholar whose work is connected to holdings at the archives. As “AAAMC Speaks” through this series, the collections come alive, and African American legacies are preserved.

The second episode features Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, one of the most sought after musicians in the United States for her versatile skills as a composer, arranger, pianist, organist, vocalist, artistic director, lecturer, producer, and clinician who transverses numerous music genres, from classical to gospel to jazz. A premiere African American composer, she has received many commissions and her works have been performed and recorded by major artists, orchestras, and ensembles across the U.S. Her extraordinary music gifts and ministry are also featured in worship services at churches in Washington, DC, Alexandria, Virginia, and her hometown of Philadelphia.