Pierre Simard

Acclaimed in Canada and internationally, Pierre Simard is a prominent conductor, composer and arranger. Artistic and Music Director with the Vancouver Island Symphony (BC) and formerly Associate and Resident Conductor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (AB) and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (BC), Pierre Simard’s artistry is versatile, compelling and nuanced, performing every masterwork with remarkable musicianship.

A guest conductor with major symphonies and ensembles in North America and Europe, Pierre Simard is namely invited with the Milwaukee Symphony (MI), the Tucson Symphony (AZ), for the Hot Springs Music Festival (AR), the Toronto Symphony, at the Ottawa’s Jazzfest with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, at Lanaudière’s International Music Festival, and with symphony orchestras in Edmonton, Victoria, Kingston, Okanagan, Hamilton, Trois-Rivières, Québec’s Les Violons du Roy and Montréal’s Orchestre Métropolitain. He is a former Artistic and Music Director with the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville (QC).

Pierre Simard guest conducts performances with virtuosi and solo artists of all genres, notably trumpet legend Chris Botti, singers Colin James, Chantal Kreviazuk and Nikki Yanofsky, Cirque du Soleil acts as well as classical stars such as Jan Lisiecki, Angela Cheng, Alexandre Da Costa, Ian Parker, Benjamin Grosvenor and other accomplished international soloists. Amongst many distinctions in Canada and the United States, Pierre Simard was granted an Award in Orchestral Conducting from the Canada Council for the Arts, two Opus Prizes from the Quebec Council of Music, and many prizes recognizing his outstanding artistic contribution. Pierre Simard holds a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute in Baltimore (MD) and five prizes from Montréal’s Conservatory of Music.

An accomplished composer and arranger, his works are notably performed by the Tasmanian Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic and Montreal-based Ensemble Pentaèdre.

Pierre Simard’s warm personality on and off stage combined with his unwavering commitment to music performance have drawn concertgoers of all generations to celebrate a large and diversified repertoire.