Jan Simons (singer)

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Jan Hugo Simons (born November 11, 1925 in Düsseldorf ; † May 7, 2006 in Montreal ) was a Canadian singer (baritone) and vocal teacher of German origin.

Simons emigrated to Canada and became a Canadian citizen in 1944. His teachers were Emilio de Gorgoza in New York (1950-1953), Emmy Heim and Ernesto Vinci at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (1953-1958) and Yvonne Rodd-Marling in London (1970). He made a name for himself above all as a song and oratorio singer and has performed with accompanists such as Glenn Gould , Gerald Moore , Oscar Peterson , Christopher Plummer and Maynard Ferguson .

In 1955 he was the soloist at the first concert of the Stratford Festival , in 1956 he sang the solo part in the Canadian premiere of the ballet Dark Elegies based on Gustav Mahler's songs for the death of children . He recorded a concert with Elizabeth Benson Guy for the CBC , and in 1964 he was a soloist (with the Montreal Bach Choir ) in the film Selection from the Christmas Oratorio .

Since 1957 Simons has taught with the Canadian Amateur Musicians-Musiciens amateurs du Canada (CAMMAC), of which he became General Director in 1969. From 1961 to 1993 he taught at the Music Faculty at McGill University , as well as at Marianopolis College (1963–1967) and Vanier College (1973–1977). After 1993 he continued to teach song singing at McGill University and gave private lessons. His students include Ruth Barrie , Marie-Anik Béliveau , Desmond Byrne , Lisette Canton , Gregory Charles , Lyne Fortin , Simon Fournier , Josée Lalonde , Olivier Laquerre , Suzie LeBlanc , Claudine Ledoux , Stephanie Marshall , Michiel Schrey , Daniel Taylor and Matthew White .

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personal data
SURNAME Simons, Jan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Simons, Jan Hugo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian singer and vocal teacher
DATE OF BIRTH November 11, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Dusseldorf
DATE OF DEATH May 7, 2006
Place of death Montreal