Biography

"One of this country's most electrifying instrumentalists, Adam Simmons defies classification" – Leon Gettler

Adam covers a wide range of sounds and genres – from piccolo to contrabass clarinet, from screaming, bluesy tenor sax to meditative sounds of shakuhachi, death metal to swing, musician to sculptor. Since graduating from VCA in 1992, Adam has steadily worked in Melbourne with influential groups such as bucketrider (thrash/punk/free jazz), The Pearly Shells (big band swing), BOLT Ensemble (new music), Compared to What (funk/acid jazz), Bennetts Lane Big Band (contemporary big band), Nick Tsiavos Ensemble and the Australian Art Orchestra, as well as the likes of Spiderbait, Kutcha Edwards, The Mavis’s, You Am I, Gotye, Greg and Murray of the Wiggles, and somehow ended up on a Katie Noonan CD without even knowing it!

In addition Adam has constantly promoted new and original music through his own varied ensembles from solo through to large ensembles, releasing numerous CDs and performing around Australia and internationally.

Adam has performed with a range of international artists such as: Ernest Ranglin, Nigel Kennedy, Peter Brotzmann, Ned Rothenberg, Tony Overwater, Ursel Schlicht, John Hollenbeck, Jacek Kochan, Alessandra Garosi, Laia Genc, Odean Pope & Denis Colin.

As a collaborator Adam has worked with dozens of musicians including: Erik Griswold, Tony Gould, Sandy Evans, Roger Frampton, John Pochee, Vanessa Tomlinson, Noriko Tadano, Wang Zheng Ting, David Jones, Ted Vining, Gela Reh, Brian O’Dwyer, Dave Brown, David Chesworth, Tim O’Dwyer, Kris Wanders, Damo Suzuki, Niko Schauble, CW Stoneking, Pugsley Buzzard, John Wiese, Robbie Avenaim, Sean Baxter, John McAll, Howard Cairns, Peter Knight, Michel Benebig and many more.

Other career highlights include: Commission for Speak Percussion and Michael Kieran Harvey (2012 – music boxes and toy piano), touring with La Société des Antipodes (Australia 2011, France 2012/13), premiere of concerto by Orio Odori with Philharmonic Orchestra of Loro Ciuffenna (Italy 2012), composition of major suite for Collider based on Dr Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” ((2011), Special Award from Freedman Foundation (2004), Music Omi Artist Residency (USA, Fellowship 2001, Guest Curator 2007), Green Room Awards for Musical Direction (2003 & 2004), Commission for Eureka 150 funded by Department of Premier & Cabinet (2004), Adam Simmons Retrospective, featuring 40 different acts over three week (2006)

Adam is a Selmer Clarinet artist and a Temby Saxophone/Flute artist.