BIO - SIMON BARKER

SIMON BARKER PERFORMS REGULARLY WITH MANY OF AUSTRALIA’S FINEST JAZZ GROUPS SUCH AS SCOTT TINKLER’S DRUB, VINCE JONES, BAECASTUFF, PAUL GRABOWSKY, KATIE NOONAN, JAMES MULER AND THE MATT MCMAHON TRIO. SIMON HAS ALSO PLAYED WITH MANY INTERNATIONAL TOURING ARTISTS INCLUDING CLAIRE MARTIN (UK), SHEILA JORDAN (US), GARY SMULYAN, JOHN HICKS AND CARLOS WARD (US).

EQUALLY ACTIVE IN THE JAZZ EDUCATION FIELD SIMON HAS GIVEN WORKSHOPS AND PRIVATE TUITION AT UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT EAST ASIA INCLUDING THE BEIJING CENTRAL MUSIC ACADEMY, MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY (THAILAND), ALL THAT JAZZ SERIES (HONG KONG), HANOI JAZZ CO-OP (VIETNAM), SEOUL JAZZ ACADEMY (KOREA) AND THE CHRISTCHURCH POLYTECH (NZ). IN 1998 AND 2000, HE WAS A GUEST PERFORMER FOR THE CANBERRA SCHOOL OF MUSIC’S JAZZ INITIATIVE PROGRAM AND REGULARLY CONDUCTS MASTER CLASSES AT SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY AND THE BILLY HYDE’S DRUM ACADEMY.

HIS INTEREST IN DEVELOPING NEW MUSIC WITH EAST ASIAN MUSICIANS HAS ALSO LED TO COLLABORATIONS WITH KOREAN MUSICIANS SUCH AS PIANIST KIM GYONG MIN (SEOUL, NOV99) AND KOREAN DRUMMER/COMPOSER WON IL (SEOUL, APRIL 02).