Concord Conservatory of MusicConcord Conservatory of MusicFriday, April 2, 2027, 7:30 pm
Experience a transformative night of sound with The Brandee Younger Trio. Among the most celebrated jazz artists to emerge in the 21st century, harpist, composer, and bandleader Brandee Younger seamlessly bridges spiritual jazz and classical rigor with the rhythmic soulfulness of R&B and hip-hop.
Raised on Long Island, Younger’s groundbreaking aesthetic was built on a rich foundation of singing gospel, studying classical harp, and diving deep into both hip-hop and the vintage soul records sampled by rap producers. Her direction solidified as a teenager when her father introduced her to the visionary music of Alice Coltrane, a transformative moment that shaped her creative path. Join us for a powerful, genre-defying performance that honors jazz history while driving it boldly into the future.
Purchase tickets online ($40 General Admission and free for students 18 and under)
About the Artist
“No harpist thus far has been more capable of combining all of the modern harp traditions — from Salzedo, through Dorothy Ashby, through Alice Coltrane — with such strength, grace and commitment.” – The New York Times
BRANDEE YOUNGER is revolutionizing the harps’ role in modern music. Over the past fifteen years, she has worked relentlessly to stretch boundaries and limitations for harpists. In 2022, she made history by becoming the first Black woman to be nominated for a Grammy® Award for Best Instrumental Composition. That same year, she was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award and later, the winner of the 2024 NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Jazz Album for her latest album Brand New Life. Ever-expanding as an artist, she has worked with cultural icons including Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Pharoah Sanders and Christian McBride.
Her original composition “Hortense” was featured in the Netflix Concert-Documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming and in 2019, Brandee was selected to perform her original music as a featured performer for Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’ “Soundtrack of America”. Brandee is often noted for standing on the shoulders of the very women who ushered in the harp as a clear and distinct voice in jazz & popular styles – particularly Detroit natives Dorothy Ashby & Alice Coltrane. Her latest album, Brand New Life, builds on her already rich oeuvre, and cements the harp’s place in popular culture. As the title of the album suggests, Brand New Life is about forging new paths–artistic, personal, political, and spiritual. Younger’s music is imbued with a sense of purpose and respect of legacy, creating a larger platform for the harp to reach newer and wider audiences than ever before. In addition to performing and recording, Brandee Younger is on the faculty at New York University, Steinhardt School and The New School College of Performing Arts. Follow: @harpista