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In addition to numerous compositions presented by the Kennedy Center, Carlos Simon is deeply involved in the Center’s Social Impact work, an initiative that advances justice and equity within society through the arts. Together with Kennedy Center Vice President and Artistic Director of Social Impact Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Simon composed the opera it all falls down as part of Written in Stone—a project commemorating the Kennedy Center’s 50th anniversary—for Washington National Opera. He also composed , as part of the Kennedy Center’s inaugural Cartography Project, commissioned by the Kennedy Center and the Washington National Opera. The project focused on the concept of “Black Dignity” and created a musical map of incidents of extrajudicial violence. Simon also mentors composers whose works answer the question “What are we doing to shape the Black lives of tomorrow?” as part of the second iteration of the Cartography Project.

Carlos Simon came to the attention of Washington National Opera though its prestigious annual American Opera Initiative (AOI). This program commissions and mentors three American composer-librettist teams, culminating in staged performances of their 20-minute operas. Selected for AOI in 2019, Simon’s first commissioned work at the Kennedy Center was Night Trip with librettist Sandra Seaton. Following the success of Night Trip, WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello commissioned Simon and Seaton to write a chamber opera for the Glimmerglass Festival, The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, which the WNO performed in 2023 starring Denyce Graves. Furthermore, WNO commissioned Simon and Kennedy Center inaugural Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems to write an opera for families, Slopera! A Bite-Sized Opera, which was performed during the pandemic. Upon that success, the pair was also commissioned to write a second family opera, Don’t Let the Pigeon Sing Up Late!. WNO also commissioned Simon’s it all falls down and The Road Ahead as part of Written in Stone and the Cartography Project, respectively.

Carlos Simon’s relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra began in 2019 when he arranged charts for the orchestra’s Pops concerts. The NSO recorded a concert of Simon’s works for the Center’s Digital Stage+ platform and performed his Tales—A Folklore Symphony, The Block, This Land, and others in its subscription concerts and as part of several NSO community outreach performances. The NSO commissioned Simon’s Songs of Separation, which it performed with mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, broadcast live from the Concert Hall on in the 2022–2023 season. Simon’s next orchestral commission, Wake Up! Concerto for Orchestra, will be performed by the NSO at the Kennedy Center on January 25–27, 2024. This work will also be presented by the NSO on its 2024 Europe Tour in February. Simon will join the Orchestra on tour in Berlin, Milan, and Madrid for the European premiere performances. In addition to his compositions, Simon has also mentored students in the National Symphony Orchestra’s annual Summer Music Institute—a summer training program for high school and college instrumentals across the country interested in pursuing a career as a professional musician.

• Simon wrote the theme music for the Kennedy Center Honors (2022 and 2023) and the Kennedy Center’s series on PBS, NEXT at the Kennedy Center.
• Simon composed music for a new dance, , featuring eleven black dancers from historically white ballet companies as part of the Kennedy Center’s .