USC to host a Grammy Week program to celebrate the revolutionary legacy of Nina Simone with events on Jan. 23 and 26
The USC Thornton School of Music announces Nina Simone: Beyond Category, a two-event series examining the life, artistry and enduring influence of Nina Simone, one of the most uncompromising and transformative artists of the 20th century.
Presented as part of USC Thornton’s annual Beyond Category initiative, the series takes place Jan. 23 and Jan. 26 and includes a public conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and critic Salamishah Tillet and a one-night-only concert at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.
Widely celebrated as a global icon of jazz, blues and civil rights activism, Simone was also a classically trained pianist whose early immersion in Western art music shaped her phrasing, harmonic language and improvisational approach. By fusing classical precision with gospel, jazz, blues, folk and musical theater, Simone forged a body of work that defied genre boundaries and spoke to questions of freedom, justice and artistic autonomy.
The series opens Friday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. with “How Nina Simone Changed the World,” a public conversation at USC featuring Salamishah Tillet, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, critic and distinguished professor at Rutgers University-Newark. Moderated by Jason King, dean of the USC Thornton School of Music, the discussion explores Simone’s legacy as an artist, activist and cultural innovator ahead of Tillet’s forthcoming book, “All the Rage: Nina Simone and the World She Made” (2027).
The series continues Monday, Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m. with “TO BE FREE: The Revolutionary Music of Nina Simone,” a one-night-only concert at Bovard Auditorium. Co-curated by pianist and curator Lara Downes, Oscar-nominated producer Jayson Jackson (“What Happened, Miss Simone?”) and King, the concert highlights Simone’s classical training and its influence on her genre-defying musical vision. The performance is presented in collaboration with USC Visions & Voices and the Recording Academy Black Music Collective and takes place during Grammy Week.
Performed by USC Thornton students, faculty, alumni and guest artists, the concert traces Simone’s journey from Bach and Czerny to her fusion of classical music with blues, jazz, gospel and song. Featured performers include Alice Smith, Rufus Wainwright, Nikka Costa, Mykal Kilgore, Jimetta Rose, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Derrick Lawrence, Gabby Samone, Ron McCurdy, Downes, V.C.R. and others, alongside members of the USC Thornton Symphony conducted by Carl St.Clair, artistic leader and principal conductor of the USC Thornton Orchestras. Todd Simon serves as musical director.
“Today, Nina Simone’s legacy feels as vital as ever,” King said. “She built a body of work that refuses easy categories. This series creates space to engage her not just as an iconic performer but as a deeply intentional artist whose ideas about freedom, responsibility and creative truth continue to shape how we think about music and culture.”
Both events are free and open to the public with advance registration. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
