Hillary Simms Trombonist

Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman

07/27/24

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89m

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Hillary Simms is a virtuosic Canadian trombone player with the esteemed American Brass Quintet and is on faculty at the Julliard School.

Hillary’s warmth and love of music comes through in this candid interview, from her childhood in Newfoundland to playing on the world’s biggest stages, and also the unusual situation she found herself in when her engagement to her husband became a viral sensation in China.

As the first woman to join the Amercian Brass Quintet since 1960, Hillary spoke to me about gender disparity in the brass world and some of her strong female role models.

Hillary shares wonderful insights for all of us, whether you pursue music as a career or follow a different path, of the need to have self-compassion and have an awareness of the big picture of your life.

Hillary has performed as a soloist a couple of times with my orchestra, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, and you’ll hear us talk about the arc of her career so far as a chamber musician, soloist, educator and busy freelancer. We decided to delay the release of this episode slightly in order to include a wonderful recent recording of the Amercian Brass Quintet, a movement from David Biedenbender’s wonderful work Sacred Geometry. This is the first recording of the group with Hillary performing, and you’ll find more information and links below.

You'll find the video and transcript here: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/hillary-simms

Hillary Simms website: https://www.hillarysimmstrombone.com/

American Brass Quintet: https://www.americanbrassquintet.org/

ABQ Sacred Geometry Il. Gaudi by David Biedenbender https://youtu.be/YOBA2gjpnKo?si=PNJHPuQ3ZOPS_pAV

Song for Japan Trombone Quintet https://youtu.be/2lVH_vesCUA?si=iD2fZsxKWi0TNDg8

Songs My Mother Taught Me by Charles Ives https://youtu.be/I7ZdF-gH9mg?si=YwJ1T4t2K2sSdy6Y

Hillary Simms with NACO https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/27460

Original Merch for sale: https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more

Can you buy this independent podcaster a coffee? ⁠https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman⁠

Complete Catalog of Episodes: ⁠https://www.leahroseman.com/about⁠

Newsletter sign-up: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter⁠

Linktree for social media: ⁠https://linktr.ee/leahroseman⁠

Timestamps:

(00:00) intro

(04:02) solo opportunites with NACO pandemic, Tomasi, David, Raum

(08:26) American Brass Quintet, Julliard teaching, auditioning for ABQ

(14:10) commissioning new compositions

(20:41) second movement,Gaudi, from Sacred Geometry by David Biedenbender

(25:29) recital in Toronto, Charles Ives songs

(27:51) Songs My Mother Taught Me by Charles Ives

(27:49) benefits of singing

(31:44) Hillary’s story of becoming a trombone player

(37:55) Newfoundland

(39:49) different ways to support this independent podcast!

(40:43) Hillary’s career path and love of chamber music, Dr. Karen Bulmer, Douglas Burden

(47:39) Gord Wolfe trombone mentor, getting through burnout

(50:47) husband Ricky Nan, the strangeness of being part of a viral sensation

(56:36) need for mentorship

(01:00:10) recording the Song for Japan video, help from Zach Haas

(01:04:42) Song for Japan by Steven Verhelst

(01:11:00) self-care and routine,

Previous Episode

Rebeca Omordia: African Pianism

July 20, 2024

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72m

Concert pianist Rebeca Omordia, has just released her second African Pianism album, volume 2, which was just named Editor’s Choice in the Gramophone Magazine, and it is a fascinating and beautiful kaleidoscope of piano works from West Africa, North Africa, South Africa and East Africa. Rebeca spoke to me about her extensive research about these composers, varied styles, and the different traditional music traditions which are often at the heart of this music. We talked about her experiences growing up in Romania with a Romanian mother and a Nigerian father. Now based in London, Rebeca spoke to me about The African Concert Series at Wigmore Hall, and many of her collaborations, including with Errollyn Wallen whose Piano Concerto, written for Rebeca Omordia, is featured in this podcast along with excerpts from several of the works on the African Pianism album, volume 2.

Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on all the platforms, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/rebeca-omordia-african-pianism

Rebeca Omordia website and recordings: https://www.rebecaomordia.com/recordings

Original Merch for sale: https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more

Can you buy this independent podcaster a coffee? ⁠https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman⁠

Complete Catalog of Episodes: ⁠https://www.leahroseman.com/about⁠

Newsletter sign-up: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter⁠

Linktree for social media: ⁠https://linktr.ee/leahroseman⁠

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:50) African Pianism, Akin Euba

(05:41) Wakar Duru: Study in African Pianism number 1 by Akin Euba

(10:30) childhood in Romania, deportation and return

(20:50) Florence Price

(22:40) excerpt from Fantaisie Nègre by Price

(24:46) encouraging women composers in Africa, Rebeca’s identity in Africa

(27:11) Salim Dada Algerian composer

(31:14) excerpt from Soirée au Hogarr by Salim Dada

(33:05) about Salim Dad’s Crépuscule sur la baie d'Alger, with an excerpt

(35:36) African Concert Series

(38:13) different ways you can help this podcast continue

(39:06) Delius Prize, duo with Julian Lloyd Weber, book about John Ireland

(42:50) duo with South African bass soloist Leon Bosch

(46:36) about Errollyn Wallen’s Piano Concerto

(50:12) last movement of Errollyn Wallen’s Piano Concerto

(52:55) family legacy in music, Nigerian grandfather

(57:03) experience of nerves, performing from memory

(01:01:12) Ethiopian composer Girma Yifrashewa

(01:03:43) excerpt from Elilta - Cry of Joy by Girma Yifrashewa

(01:05:21) next projects, Omo Bello

(01:07:51) childhood music exposure in Romania

(01:09:41) advice about self-care

photo of Rebeca Omordia: Fourchiefs Media

Next Episode

Collected Strands Interview with weaver Maryanne Moodie

August 19, 2024

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68m

This is a special episode of my podcast, celebrating Volume 1 with my improvising ensemble Collected Strands. The other musicians in the group have all been featured previously on this series, and you’ll find the links to those episodes below, with cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne, pianist James McGowan and drummer Mike Essoudry. I’m also delighted that you will get to know the inspiring Australian artist, educator and author Maryanne Moodie who’s woven art graces the cover of this album. You’ll find the links to her work as well. I am also releasing the interview with Maryanne as a separate stand-alone bonus episode connected to this episode. I feel that all my listeners who love music and creativity will find that Maryanne’s personal journey and perspectives will resonate strongly with them, and I hope some listeners in the weaving and art world will also be inspired by the musicians!

We are including excerpts from the album during this episode, and you’ll find all the links to buy and stream this music below.

You can listen here:

⁠https://collectedstrands.bandcamp.com/album/volume-1⁠

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/collectedstrands/volume-1

Artist Maryanne Moodie: https://maryannemoodie.com/

Collected Strands mailing list https://mailchi.mp/5bbfa0f0e271/collected-strands-updates

Original Merch for sale: https://www.leahroseman.com/beautiful-shirts-and-more

Can you buy this independent podcaster a coffee? ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman⁠⁠ Thanks!

Video and transcript: ⁠https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/collected-strands-interview-with-maryanne-moodie⁠

The musicians in Collected Strands have all been featured on previous episodes of this podcast, linked below:

https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/raphael-weinroth-browne

https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/james-mcgowan