Jade Simmons, Piano

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New Music/New Places Fellow

Known for her versatility and charisma both on and off the stage, pianist Jade Simmons is a performer for the 21st Century. Chosen as Concert Artist Guild's inaugural New Music/New Places Fellow, she possesses artistry, passion and creativity, infusing all of her diverse projects with a unique brand of communicative power.

In the 2008-09 Season, Ms. Simmons tours extensively, visiting over 25 cities in more than 15 states. As a New Music/New Places Fellow she has the opportunity to create innovative projects and present them in a variety of venues. Her program Kandinsky and Scriabin: Hearing Color, Seeing Sound focuses on links between the creative arts, and The Rhythm Project is an exploration of percussive piano playing.

In 2007-08 Ms. Simmons presented The Rhythm Project at Symphony Space's Thalia Theatre as part of the CAG/New Works Series and at the Gatehouse at Harlem Stage in a program specifically designed for students. Additional highlights included appearances at Ravinia's Rising Stars Series and the Chamber Music Society of Little Rock, residencies with the Cliburn Foundation, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute (NY) and Oakwood College (AL), as well as a concerto engagement at Chicago's Symphony Hall with the Chicago Sinfonietta performing Tania León's Kabiosile. Other recent engagements include her debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra performing the Corigliano Piano Concerto under the baton of Leslie Dunner and recitals at Symphony Space and Aaron Davis Hall.

Ms. Simmons is passionate about the role of the arts in education and created Mozart on the Move, a program that was used with great success in the Houston public school system. In spring 2007, she continued her educational activities under the auspices of the Van Cliburn Foundation's "Musical Awakenings" series, visiting twenty schools throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area in a program entitled Virtuosity. An artist with a social conscience that moves her to action, she serves as an advocate for America's youth, addressing groups across the country on sensitive issues such as suicide prevention and youth violence. She is the founder of the national school program Where Do You Stand?! – a series of interactive presentations on topics from culture to the political climate which has led to numerous appearances on radio and television.

Ms. Simmons is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. As an undergraduate at Northwestern University, she co-founded the immensely popular percussion and dance ensemble Boomshaka! She was Miss Illinois and first runner up at the 2000 Miss America Pageant where she performed Chopin's Etude in c-sharp minor, Op. 10, No. 4, before a live television audience of millions. Ms. Simmons holds a Master's degree from Rice University, where she studied with Jon Kimura Parker, and has also studied at the Foundation Bell' Arte in Brussels. She designs her own concert attire and plans to expand these successful fashion efforts into an extended commercial line called Zhedya (Jade in Russian).