Master Series Concerts & Tickets
Conductor, Dennis Simons
Master Series 7, May 9, 2009Dennis Simons has a distinguished reputation as a violinist, teacher, conductor, adjudicator, and chamber music specialist. He has served for more than 20 years as a concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic, working with master musicians such as Daniel Barenboim, Benjamin Britten, Carlo Mario Giulini, Sir Adrian Boult and Bernard Haitink. He was founder-leader and first violin of the Alberni String Quartet, one of the major string quartets in the United Kingdom. With these ensembles he can be heard on hundreds of recordings on EMI and Decca labels, many long cherished by record collectors.
As a solo violinist, he has given over 20 broadcasts for the BBC, and has appeared with Penny Simons in joint violin and piano recitals on 3 continents.
As Music Director, he has led the orchestras of Saskatoon (1993-97), Shreveport (1996-2002), and currently leads the Minot Symphony Orchestra. As a guest conductor in his native Canada, he has led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony, Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings, and Ontario’s Orchestra London. He has also guest conducted in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. He recently served as Interim Conductor of the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra.
As graduate of London’s world famous Royal Academy of Music, Simons was awarded the title of Fellow, a distinction limited to only 250 distinguished living alumni at a time.
A musician of wide-ranging interests, Simons’ repertoire spans from the baroque to the compositions of tomorrow. He is dedicated to education and outreach and has undertaken many cutting-edge projects involving improvisational techniques with close interaction between symphony musicians and school children. While serving as Associate Professor of Music at Minot State University, he is currently completing his Doctorate in Education.