Washington Performing Arts presents: Cécile McLorin Salvant | Book of Ayres

Cécile McLorin Salvant is a composer, singer, and visual artist known for her rich contralto voice, passion for storytelling, and genre-blending style, connecting jazz to baroque, folkloric music, vaudeville, and the blues. Described by the late Jessye Norman as “a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality,” Salvant is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs.

Her 2023 album, Mélusine, which features songs in French, Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyol, received two Grammy nominations. Savant’s newest album, Oh Snap, is set to release in September 2025.

A leading voice of the harp, Brandee Younger made history at the 2022 Grammy Awards as the first Black female solo artist nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category for her song “Beautiful Is Black.” Younger has performed and recorded across countless genres with artists including John Legend, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Common, Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Ron Carter, and Charlie Haden. Additionally, her original composition “Hortense” was featured in the Netflix Concert-Documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming. She also was a featured performer for Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’s Soundtrack of America. Co-produced by Washington Performing Arts and Strathmore