Carnegie Hall

(NEW YORK, NY; January 30, 2023)— On Thursday, February 23 at 8:00 p.m., powerhouse vocalist and Grammy Award-winner Ledisi pays tribute to Nina Simone with a live Carnegie Hall performance of her critically acclaimed album Ledisi Sings Nina, featuring a thirty-piece orchestra.

The late legendary singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone performed at Carnegie Hall more than a dozen times, both individually and as part of all-star line-ups and ensembles. Her solo performance in 1964 later became a historic live album and established Simone as a powerful voice of the Civil Rights Movement with her anguished anthem “Mississippi Goddam,” a powerful reaction to the murder of Medgar Evers, the bombing of four little girls in Alabama, and all the other racial violence plaguing the United States. For more information on Simone’s history at the Hall, click here.

“Her 1964 Carnegie Hall concert was epic,” Ledisi says in a recent article published on the Carnegie Hall website. “Something happened there that was different from all her other concerts.”

In addition to her latest recording, Ledisi has honored Simone many times in her nearly four-decade long career, including cowriting and starring in the 2019 Simone bio musical The Legend of Little Girl Blue in Los Angeles, and recording the 2020 PBS TV special Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone. The highly anticipated performance next month has been a dream for Ledisi since she started her Simone journey although she does not plan to replicate Simone’s milestone live Carnegie Hall performance. Instead, she pays homage to all facets of the iconic and complex artist. 

About the Artist
Following her successful year in 2021, Ledisi is continuing her success by joining KEM and their special guest Musiq Soulchild on the Soul II Soul tour. They will be touring across the US performing their top hits for their fans. She will also be co-starring in the feature film Spinning Gold based on the life of legendary record producer and co-founder of Casablanca Records, Neil Bogart, which will be released on March 31, 2023. Ledisi will portray Gladys Knight and stars opposite Michelle Monaghan, Jason Isaacs, Dan Fogler and Sebastian Maniscalco. She recently performed A Bridge Over Water with Stevie Wonder for Homeward Bound: A Grammy Salute to the Songs of Paul Simon in December 2022.

After a distinguished two-decade career, Ledisi earned her first Grammy Award (for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her hit song, Anything for You, in 2021. Previously, the dynamic performer was nominated for a Grammy Award 12 other times. Since arriving on the scene in the 2000s, she's garnered three Soul Train Music Awards, an NAACP Theater Award, and 11 NAACP Image Award nominations. Most recently, Ledisi received two LA Alliance Ovation Award nominations, one for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Born in New Orleans and raised in Oakland, CA, Ledisi has wowed fans with her unparalleled vocals ever since she burst onto the scene. She has earned a place in the pantheon of the greatest singers of her generation. Ledisi is a favorite of Michelle and Barack Obama and a long list of other icons including the late Prince, Patti LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and so many more. She has headlined two nationally sold-out tours, performed alongside Dave Matthews, Kelly Clarkson, Vince Gill, and Maxwell as well as jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Patti Austin.

No stranger to the film and television world, Ledisi landed her first feature, singing in the George Clooney-directed film Leatherheads. In 2015 she landed a role in the Oscar Award-nominated movie, Selma, portraying the great Mahalia Jackson and had a notable performance in Gabourney Sidibe’s Shatterbox Anthology film, “The Tale Of Four”. Ledisi secured her first major television role, playing the legendary Patti LaBelle on the hit BET series American Soul.

Ledisi has also been active in theater, making her debut as an understudy in Tony Kushner’s Caroline or Change on Broadway, directed by George C. Wolfe. She helped workshop the Tony Award-winning musical, The Color Purple and then began her recording career signing a deal with Verve/Universal Music Group. Ledisi returned to theater in 2019 as The Ancestor, in the critically acclaimed off Broadway musical, Witness Uganda by Griffith Matthews and Matt Gould, the role for which she received the LA Alliance Ovation Award nomination. Also, in 2019 she co-wrote and co-produced her one woman show, The Legend of Little Girl Blue. The show premiered at the Wallis Theatre in Beverly Hills to rave reviews with 19-sold out shows.

Ledisi is extremely passionate about being an advocate for the arts. Lobbying for young musicians and protecting the rights of creatives. She is an author, releasing her first book Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love and Power, a collaboration with Essence Magazine. Her latest book, Don’t Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey is released through her own Chinweya Publishing Company. She is also the Berklee School of Music’s first Artist-in-Residence.

Utilizing and developing her versatile skills as a singer-songwriter, music producer, author, playwright, film producer, and now CEO of her record label Listen Back Entertainment/BMG,Ledisi is excited about launching several exciting projects in the near future. When you speak of women in entertainment, Ledisi is on her way to becoming a crucial part of that conversation. “I am finally realizing my limitless potential as a creative and also now as a businesswoman.”

Program Information
Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
LEDISI SINGS NINA
Ledisi, Vocalist

Tickets $59-$150

Sponsored by Mastercard, Official Payment Partner of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information

Tickets are now available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, or online at carnegiehall.org. Artists, programs, and prices are subject to change.

For Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Weill Music Institute and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.

In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage a limited number of partial view (seats with obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold for 50% of the full price. For more information on this and other discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts. Artists, programs, and prices are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information about health and safety guidelines, please visit carnegiehall.org/SafetyChecklist.

Photo: Ron T. Young