As an artist, Simone is both a painter and a pianist in equal measure. She is interested in pursuing both fields not just for their own independent craft but also as a means of adding dimension to each other. Her piano studies began privately with Rosemary O’Connor and continued at UBC with Dr. Corey Hamm. Simone made her orchestral debut with the Coquitlam Youth Orchestra performing Saint-Saens Concerto N. 2 in G Minor as first prize winner of the Yarilo Piano Scholarship Competition. Most recently, she won “best performance of a baroque work” at the Oakridge International Piano Competition. An active composer, she has received commissions from the Charlotte New Music Festival (USA), HighScore Music Festival (Italy) as well as completed the composition program at EAMA Nadia Boulanger Institute in Paris.

Simone works  as a piano teacher, organist and freelance pianist performing with choirs, soloists, small chamber ensembles throughout Vancouver. With a particular passion for contemporary music, frequently programming local composers on her solo programs, she performs regularly for her community both in public concerts as well as in retirement centres, music schools and with students. Simone enjoys a fruitful musical partnership with soprano Bahareh Poureslami with whom she regularly puts on concerts of classical art song combined with contemporary solo repertoire in venues across Vancouver.

Simone is a self-taught painter. All pieces on view were created in 2020 or later.