Adam Simmons : Associate Artist
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Random Audio Sample: Wu Xing : The Five Elements : small jazz ensemble by Adam Simmons, from the CD Wu Xing 五行 |
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Photo: Mark Chew
Email:
Artist website: http://www.adamsimmons.com/
Artist website: http://www.100251.com.au
Artist website: http://www.festivalofslowmusic.com
Since graduating from VCA in 1992, Adam Simmons has worked in Melbourne and internationally with influential groups and artists such as Ernest Ranglin, Nigel Kennedy, Peter Brotzmann, Ned Rothenberg, John Hollenbeck, Alessandra Garosi, Odean Pope, Denis Colin, bucketrider, the Pearly Shells, BOLT Ensemble, Bennetts Lane Big Band, Spiderbait, Kutcha Edwards, You Am I, Gotye, Clocked Out, Tony Gould, Sandy Evans, Roger Frampton, John Pochee, Noriko Tadano, Wang Zheng Ting, David Jones, Ted Vining, David Chesworth, Clinton Green, Niko Schauble, Pugsley Buzzard, and many more
Ensembles led or co-led by Adam include Origami,
Collider, La Societe des Antipodes (French/Australian), Adam
Simmons Quartet, Adam Simmons Toy Band, Adam Simmons
Creative Music Ensemble and New
Blood.
Adam has taught at all levels from beginner to
Master's at various primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
Currently Adam is teaching shakuhachi at University of Melbourne
and giving instrumental woodwind lessons
at Victorian College of the Arts. Adam has given workshops at
various institutions/festivals including Messina Conservatorium
(Sicily), Wentworth Arts Festival
(Mildura), Wangaratta Jazz Festival, Squawkestra, National Youth
Jazz Academy, Ballarat University, Goulburn Conservatorium, the
Music Place, and others.
In addition, Adam has previously worked in
visual arts, creating sculptural music
box assemblages - he was represented by Catherine Asquith Gallery
in Melbourne. He first exhibited in the
SMS Exhibition held in Melbourne in 2009
and in Oct 2010 at Museum Narodowe in
Szczecin, and was a selected finalist in the 2010 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize (Sydney),
2011 at the Hutchins Art Prize (Hobart), Banyule Award for Works on Paper (receiving
a High Commendation award), and the
Deakin University Small Sculpture Award. The sculptures have been
used in performance at Quartetthaus and also in
collaboration with Speak Percussion.
In 2014 highlights included the world premiere
of Billy Tea to Burgers, a new
suite for Origami, releasing The Fourth Perfection CD of
solo shakuhachi inspired by Chinese art, receiving standing ovations at Dark MOFO with Nick Tsiavos
Ensemble, commissions from Melbourne Museum for a piece with the
Federation Bells and Museum of Australian
Democracy at Eureka to create a choral work celebrating Eureka's
160th anniversary. In addition Adam staged the Festival of Slow
Music for the second time.
In 2015 Adam presented
the third Festival of Slow Music, launched Shakuhachi Melbourne,
a new community ensemble for all levels, premiered his Concerto
for Piano and Toy Band featuring Michael
Kieran Harvey, was part of Nick Tsiavos's 15-hour
Immersion overnight performance at Dark MOFO. As part of
a University of Melbourne engagement project he
worked with Kids off the Kerb in creating an
ensemble performing on recycled whitegoods. He released two new
recordings: Sixteen Alleluias (with Nick Tsiavos) and
Billy Tea to Burgers
(double CD with Origami). In November, Adam presented
100:25:1, a large-scale project at Conduit Arts
featuring Adam performing duets with 100 different artists
across 25 nights, as the beginning of
research into mapping Melbourne's musician
networks.
Selected career highlights include a commission
for Speak Percussion and Michael Kieran Harvey (2012), premiere
of concerto by Orio Odori with Philharmonic Orchestra of
Loro Ciuffenna (Italy 2012), Special
Award from Freedman Foundation (2004), Music Omi Artist Residency
(USA, Fellowship 2001, Guest Curator 2007), Green Room Awards for
Musical Direction (2003 &
2004), Adam Simmons Retrospective,
featuring 40 different acts over three week
(2006).
Adam is a Selmer artist and performs exclusively
on a SELMER Paris Privilege bass clarinet.
Adam is a Temby artist and performs exclusively on Temby saxophones (alto, tenor) and flutes.
Adam Simmons — current to January 2017
Teacher/Influence on
John Arthur Grant (1997 - current)