Bill Simenson has been performing professionally on
trumpet in the Twin Cities for over thirty years. He has
performed regularly with such groups as the Wolverines
Classic Jazz Orchestra, Latin Sounds Orchestra, the Cedar
Avenue Big Band (founding member), the Jazz Composers’ Art
Ensemble, the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra, Salsa Blanca, and
Seven Steps to Havana. He worked with David Byrne of
"Talking Heads" on the the Robert Wilson production of
"The Knee Plays" at the Walker Art Center and has also
performed at Mixed Blood, Guthrie, Cricket, and Children’s
Theaters; with groups and artists such as the JazzMn Big
Band, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Ordway Big Band, De
Stiljistics, the American Classic Jazz Orchestra, the big
band for the Minnesota Vikings, and Jack McDuff; as well
as with his own ensembles. He also led the band for the
Minnesota North Stars hockey team and has backed such
artists as Cab Calloway, Steve Allen, Tony Sandler,
Maureen McGovern, Joan Rivers, Mitzi Gaynor, the
Temptations, and the Four Tops. He remains active as a
freelance performer and has played in styles ranging from
classical to rock and R&B to polka. In June of 2012
he launched the Bill Simenson Orchestra, which performs
his original music for big band the first Tuesday of every
month at Jazz Central Studios (407 Central Ave. SE,
Minneapolis MN).
He has studied trumpet with Laurie Frink (New York NY),
Michael Hesse (Norwegian Opera, Oslo, Norway), Reidar Bye
(Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Norway), Dag Tunaal
(Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Norway), Michael Brand (St.
Paul Chamber Orchestra, MN), Greg Lewis, (Minneapolis
Jazz/Studio Trumpeter, MN), and Ron Hasselmann (Minnesota
Orchestra). In addition he has taken lessons with Peter
Bond (Metropolitan Opera, New York NY), Dominic Derasse
(New York NY), Charley Davis (Los Angeles CA), Lew Soloff
(New York NY), John Ridgeon (Leicester, England), Robert
Baca (University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire WI), Bobby Shew
(Los Angeles CA), Harry Kvebaek (Oslo, Norway), Steve
Wright (Minneapolis MN), and Kenny Wheeler (London,
England).
He has teaches trumpet privately in a variety of locations in
the Twin Cities. Please click on the "Lessons" tab for more information.
Awards include: Bush Foundation Fellowship in Music Composition (1999),
Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant (1990).