Jon Simon, one of America’s foremost contemporary Jewish musical artists, has released several recordings that have captivated and inspired audiences throughout the world.
His repertoire of Jewish music is unlike anything you have ever heard before, combining beloved traditional melodies and well-known folk songs from the Jewish heritage with a uniquely beautiful piano style. Add to this mix Jon’s masterful technique and incredible improvisational skill, and the results are truly extraordinary.
A Jon Simon concert is filled with heartfelt and humorous interpretations of songs we all know and love, coupled with Jon’s stories, anecdotes, and humor. Some of his interpretations are upbeat and energized, others are soulful and inspiring.
Jon takes his audience on a journey featuring timeless Jewish music from the 7th century right up to today. Imagine a boogie-woogie version of “Zum Gali Gali,” a swinging rendition of “Dayenu,” as well as a spiritual musical meditation on a beloved High Holiday Prayer.
Whether performing at a concert hall such as the Kennedy Center or Merkin Recital Hall in New York, a jazz club including Blues Alley, or for a Community Center, Synagogue or Organization, Jon’s music touches and delights audiences of all ages.
An Evening with Jon Simon
Jon Simon has earned international acclaim for his innovative and inspiring piano interpretations. A sample of some favorite traditional and popular melodies featured in Jon’s concerts includes:
Beatles Favorites: Selections from Jon’s highly acclaimed “Beatles on Ivory” recording, including Eleanor Rigby, With A Little Help from My Friends, Norwegian Wood, Yesterday, and Hey Jude.
Songs from the Sabbath: Shabbat Shalom, Shalom Aleichem, Adon Olam, Shavua Tov, Mi Shebeirach (Debbie Friedman’s healing prayer), Shalom Rav (Prayer for Peace), Adon Olam
Holiday Traditionals: Dayenu, Eliyahu (Passover), Avinu Malkenu, Kol Nidre (High Holidays), Wicked Man Samba, Purim Day Swing
Hanukkah favorites: Rock of Ages, I Have a Little Dreidel, O Hanukkah O Hanukkah, Oco Kandelikas (Sephardic song), S’vivon (the spinning dreidel song)
Jewish Broadway and Hollywood: Fiddler on the Roof Medley, Bei Mir Bistu Shein (Yiddish Theater), movie themes from Exodus and Schindler’s List, Shalom (Milk and Honey), Papa Can You Hear Me? (Yentl)
Songs from Israel: Jerusalem of Gold, Hatikvah, Bashana Ha Ba’a, Zoom Gali Gali
Original Compositions: Songs commissioned for the film, “Pandora’s Box”, including Dream Dance, Coming Home, and Pandora, as well as compositions inspired by Judaic themes, including A Sabbath Walk, Reflections, and In the Beginning.
A sampling of performance venues:
- Blues Alley Jazz Club, Washington, DC
- CAJE Annual Conferences – Long Island, NY, San Antonio, TX, Los Angeles, CA, Amherst, MA
- Cantorial Assembly Conference, Milwaukee, WI
- Charles E. Smith Hebrew Day School, Washington, DC
- The Concord Resort, Upstate, NY
- Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook, IL
- Congregation K’nesseth Israel, Allentown, PA
- Eastman School of Music Theater, Rochester, NY
- Folger Shakespeare Library Theater for Clinton Inauguration, Washington, DC
- Friends of Hebrew University, Washington, DC
- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Int’l Jewish Arts Festival of Long Island, Commack, NY
- Israeli Embassy, Washington, DC
- Jewish Community Centers: Norfolk, VA, Rochester, NY, Salt Lake City, UT, Syracuse, NY, Rockville, MD, Westchester County, NY, York, PA, Washington, DC, Richmond, VA
- Jewish Federation Events: Long Beach, CA, Palm Springs, CA, Sacramento, CA, Boca Raton, FL, Springfield, IL, Boston, MA, Concord, NH, , Reading, PA, Columbia, SC, Chattanooga, TN
- Jewish Folk Arts Festival, Washington, DC
- Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
- Merkin Recital Hall, New York, NY
- Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, OH
- Rabbinical Assembly Annual Conference, Concord Resort, NY
- Reconstructionist Rabbinical Convention, Philadelphia, PA
- Rockdale Temple, Cincinnati, OH
- Temple Beth El, Boca Raton, FL
- Temple Beth El, San Diego, CA
- Temple Beth El, Rochester, NY
- Temple Chai, Phoenix, AZ
- Temple Israel, Denver, CO
- Temple Israel, Minneapolis, MN
- Temple Shir Chadash, Los Angeles, CA
- University of Maryland Hillel, College Park, MD
- UAHC Biennial Conferences: Baltimore, MD, Atlanta, GA, Orlando, FL
- UJA Young Leadership Conference, Washington, DC
- United States Senate
- Washington Hebrew Congregation, Washington, DC
- Wexner Heritage Foundation Retreat, Fairfax, VA