Adam Simmons

Adam Simmons plays saxophones, clarinets, flutes, shakuhachi, fujara, toys and graduated from VCA in 1992. Since then, Adam has regularly worked in Melbourne, nationally and internationally with all manner of influential groups and artists including: Ernest Ranglin, Nigel Kennedy, Peter Brotzmann, Walter Lang, Shinya Fukumori, John Hollenbeck, Jacek Kochan, Alessandra Garosi, Odean Pope, bucketrider, The Pearly Shells, BOLT Ensemble, Spiderbait, Zydeco Jump, Kutcha Edwards, Australian Art Orchestra, Gotye, Clocked Out, Tony Gould, Sandy Evans, Noriko Tadano, David Jones, Dave Brown, David Chesworth, Pugsley Buzzard and many more. Adam’s own ensembles include: Origami, Collider, La Societe des Antipodes (French/Australian), Adam Simmons Quartet, Adam Simmons Toy Band, Adam Simmons Creative Music Ensemble and New Blood.

Highlights from the past few years include: directing Festival of Slow Music, launch of Shakuhachi Melbourne (a community ensemble), performed Nick Tsiavos 15hr Immersion at Dark MOFO, conducted a University of Melbourne engagement project with Kids off the Kerb, “100:25:1” performing duets with 100 different artists across 25 nights (with two research papers presented at jazz and social network conferences), released three CDs by Origami and five other CDs on his Fat Rain label, presented five major projects and released a 5 CD Box set as part of “The Usefulness of Art” 2017-18 concert series, was Lead Co-Artistic Director for Wangaratta Festival of Jazz & Blues (2017-18) where he led the Wangaratta Horns of Death, a 60 piece community, in a special full set with Spiderbait, and has graduated from the 2017 intake for the Australia Council Arts Leaders Program.

Other highlights include: world premiere of Travelling Tales at Piraeus Festival (Greece) with Intrarti Orchestra, Commission for Speak Percussion and Michael Kieran Harvey (2012), Special Award from Freedman Foundation (2004), Music Omi Artist Residency (USA, Fellowship 2001, Guest Curator 2007), Green Room Award for Musical Direction (2003 & 2004), Adam Simmons Retrospective, with 40 different acts over three weeks (2006).