Cellist Junko Fujiwara Simons is an active “creative musician”, improviser, and chamber music performer currently residing in the Merrimack Valley region. She is a member of the Kalliope Piano Trio, the Black Dust New Music Ensemble, and Another Language: InterPlay. She has also participated in composer/conductor Lawrence ‘Butch’ Morris’s “Conduction©” series.
Ms. Simons holds adjunct faculty positions at Boston College and Phillips Academy Andover, and she also teaches private students in Ipswich.
Prior to moving to Massachusetts, Ms. Simons performed around Wisconsin with organizations such as the Green Bay Symphony, the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, the Racine Symphony, Festival City Symphony, and the Waukesha Symphony Orchestra. During this period, Ms. Simons collaborated and recorded with Telecognac, guitarist Shinobu Sato, and a rock band called Voir Dire. Her work can be found on the Waterbug, Lucent Music, and Sonomu labels.
Ms. Simons has a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI.