Simone Rebello - Percussion

SIMONE REBELLO was born in Surrey, England in 1969 and began playing percussion at the age of 12. She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and won a scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1987. She graduated in 1991 with Distinction and several awards including the Philip Jones and Gilbert Webster prizes. Simone began her career as a soloist performing throughout the UK and Europe. She made numerous radio and TV appearances and recorded two solo CD's. Simone has given many premiere performances of percussion concertos, including the world premiere of 'Love Songs in Age' by Barbara Thompson with the Medici String Quartet, BBC Singers and Paraphernalia at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London and the UK premiere of Michael Daugherty's concerto UFO for solo percussion and wind orchestra with Birmingham Symphonic Winds at the CBSO Centre, Birmingham. She has also performed John Metcalf's Marimba Concerto with Sinfonia 21, conducted by Martyn Brabbins and recently gave the premiere of 'Journey to a Destination Unknown' written by Barbara Thompson for choir, percussion and organ at Norwich Arts Centre and St. John's Smith Square, London. In October, Simone was again invited to perform with the BBC Singers at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall for the South Bank's World Voice Festival in a programme of works for voices and marimba which was recorded by BBC Radio 3.

In 1995, Simone, together with Damien Harron, Chris Bastock and Richard Charles formed BACKBEAT, a percussion quartet which has enjoyed success in several competitions, including the Royal Overseas League Ensemble Prize (1997), Park Lane Group Series (1998), Osaka (Japan) International Chamber Music Festa (1999) and the prestigious Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York (2001). This led to performances at London's Royal Festival Hall and Carnegie Hall, New York. In 2002, BackBeat gave their debut performance at the BBC Proms, which was also televised. BackBeat has recorded two CD's and forthcoming tour dates include Zimbabwe, St. Kitts and a 16 date tour of Japan.

Educational work has always been extremely important to Simone and she has devised and presented concerts and workshops to literally hundreds of children of all ages over the last 12 years and remains interested and involved with bringing percussion music to as many young people as possible. Simone is involved in numerous projects and one off events throughout the year and regularly receives invitations to tutor at summer schools, including Canford, the National Youth Wind Orchestra and Brass Band courses and as adjudicator for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's Young Musician of the Year competition. Most recently she worked with Young Voices on a sell-out five concert tour with primary school choirs of up to 8,000 children per concert. Concert venues included Birmingham's National Indoor Arena and the MEN Arena in Manchester and Simone was immediately invited back for the 2003 concert tour in November.

Simone embraces a wide variety of musical styles from contemporary classics to jazz fusion and in 1998 she was selected as the Cosmopolitan/House of Fraser Woman of Achievement in the Performing Arts. Simone is often invited to collaborate with musicians in new projects and regularly performs with saxophonist Rob Buckland in their duo, EQUIVOX which explores original repertoire written for the duo together with arrangements of popular themes. Simone has toured world-wide and is in high demand as a soloist with wind orchestras, ensembles and for her educational work. In December 2003, she performed as concerto soloist at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, USA - an international band and orchestra conference attended by over 15,000 delegates from around the world. Simone Rebello is a solo artist and endorsee for Yamaha-Kemble UK.

www.simonerebello.com