Simon Aldrich, Artistic Director

Called “a spectacular player” by the Los Angeles Times, holder of a doctorate and two masters degrees from Yale University, and nominated for an Opus Award as “Discovery of the Year”, Simon Aldrich is currently solo clarinet of l’Orchestre de l’Opéra de Montréal and l’Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, as well as a member of Nouvel Ensemble Moderne. He has also been solo clarinet of the Chicago Classical Symphony and the Colorado Philharmonic. His teachers have included David Shifrin, Joaquin Valdepeñas, Robert Marcellus and Emilio Iacurto and he has also attended Northwestern University and McGill University.

Simon has performed as soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra London, Victoria Symphony, Chicago Classical Symphony, Chicago North Shore Chamber Symphony, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, and l’Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal. With Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Simon has performed across Canada, the United States, England, France, Belgium, Germany, Australia, and Japan. His CD of Elliott Carter’s Clarinet Concerto won an Opus Award for Best Contemporary Recording in 2002.

Simon is heard regularly on CBC radio and has recorded for the CD labels Atma, SNE, Analekta, CBC, UMMUS, Montaigne Auvidis, Amberola, and Sächsische Tonträger. Simon teaches at McGill University and is Artistic Director of The Jeffery Summer Concerts.