Soloist

Eke Simons is a Dutch pianist and appears as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe. She performs in the main halls in the Netherlands and Sweden, such as Vredenburg (Utrecht), Royal Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Royal Theatre Carré (Amsterdam), Konserthuset (Gothenburg) and Musikaliska (Stockholm). Her concerts are regularly being broadcasted by Dutch radio and television and her current tours include performances in Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Sweden and Great Britain.

In 2013, Eke recorded her Solo Debut-CD with works from Schumann, Liszt, Wiklander and Janáček, which has received outstanding critics in the media.In 2018, her second album was released by label TRPTK, with pieces dedicated to her and percussionist Konstantyn Napolov by composers Jan-Peter de Graaff, Moritz Eggert, Yannis Kyriakides and Samuel Penderbayne.

Eke Simons appears as a chamber musician with great artists like cellist Harro Ruijsenaars, pianist Dag Achatz and members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Being a passionate interpreter of contemporary music, Eke has performed “Parallel Lines” for piano and percussion of Duddell with the internationally known percussionist Colin Currie. She has played worldpremieres of numerous compositions, of which several have been dedicated to her. Among other prices, she won the “Sporck Vertolkers Prijs 2010” for her performance of “Chapters” of Antal Sporck.

Eke received her Master Solo Piano with honours at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague, where she has studied with Geoffrey Douglas Madge, David Kuyken and Han Louis Meijer. Additionally, she specialized in the Art of Song at the Royal Conservatoire, Bruxelles. She has participated in numerous masterclasses by international renowned musicians such as Pascal Devoyon, Stefan Vladar, Julius Drake and Steve Reich.

Leidsch Dagblad:
“Eke Simons convinces immediately with her vital, expressive way of playing. Schumann’s attachment to the piano stands out beautifully in Simons’ performance”

Audiosamples

Repertoire list

L. van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Sonata in E dur, opus 109
- Vivace, ma non troppo
- Prestissimo
- Gesangvoll, mit innigster Empfindung

Sonata in Es dur, op. 31 no. 3 “The Hunt”
- Allegro
- Scherzo. Allegretto vivace
- Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso
- Presto con fuoco

J. Brahms (1833-1897)
Rhapsody, op. 119

F. Chopin (1810-1849)
* Ballade no. 1 in g minor
* Nocturne in c sharp minor, op. 27 no. 1

C. Debussy (1862-1918)
“Pour le Piano”
-Prelude
-Sarabande
-Toccata

M. de Falla (1876-1946)
“Asturiana”
“Danza ritual del fuego”

G. Gimenez (*1979)
“La Niña que trae la luz”

E. Grieg (1843-1907)
Lyrical pieces, selection

S. Gubaidulina (*1931)
Chaconne

J. Haydn (1732-1809)
Sonata in D dur
- Moderato
- Adagio, ma non troppo
- Finale. Assai Allegro

L. Janaček (1854-1928)
Sonata I.X.1905 “From the Street”
- Předtucha / Presentiment
- Smrt / Death

N.Kapustin (1937)
Toccatina opus 36

F. Liszt (1811-1886)
* ”Vallée d’Obermann“ uit/from Années de Pèlerinage
* Consolation no. 3

S. Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sonata no. 3, opus 28 in a minor

A. Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Selectie Sonates/Selection Sonatas

P. Schat (1935-2003)
Anathema

C. Schenk (*1981)
Twee Bagatellen

R. Schumann (1810-1856)
* Fantasie in C dur, opus 17
- Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen
- Mässig. Durchaus energisch
- Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten
* Exercizi, Variaties over een thema uit de 7e Symphonie van Beethoven/ Exercizi, Variations on a theme from the 7th Symphony of Beethoven

C. Gluck-Sgambati (1714-1787/1841-1919)
“Melody” (Second Ballet) uit/from Orpheus voor/for Piano Solo

A. Sporck (*1981)
Chapters voor piano (geschreven voor Eke)

J.Psz Sweelinck (1591-1652)
Fantasia Chromatica

P.I. Tchaikovsky/Pletnev (1840-1893/*1957)
Concert Suite from the Nutcracker
- March
- Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
- Tarantella
- Intermezzo
- Russian Trepak
- Chinese Dance
- Andante maestoso (Pas de Deux)

K. Wiklander (*1950)
Pianosonat opus 4
- Fantasia
- Intermezzo
- Toccata

D-W Yu (*1975)
Klavierstueck I (geschreven voor Eke)