PCM: You have spent a lot of time in Philadelphia.

Simone: I joined the Astral Artist roster in 2000 and I was going down to Philly a lot. Philadelphia has played an important role in my career.

PCM: I find it interesting that you produced your new recording JS Bach - Goldberg Variations. How did the recording happen?
 
Simone: That is a very interesting story. It’s linked to Philadelphia. As part of winning the audition with Astral they presented me in a debut recital in Philadelphia. I decided to play the Goldberg Variations at that recital. Shortly after the concert was scheduled I found out I was pregnant and we had to postpone the recital. I wound up learning the Goldberg Variations while I was pregnant and performing them when my son was a baby.
 
The concert went well and I was performing them a lot. I don’t think I would have played them if Astral hadn’t given me the opportunity. After performing them many times I thought it would be a great idea to record them. A number of friends and foundations I knew contributed money to make this recording happen. It was an incredible experience. I recorded them with the producer Adam Abeshouse who is phenomenal. He was also the engineer. I also found an exceptional piano to use for the recording, a 1903 Hamburg Steinway from Klavierhaus in New York City. When I had the master cd ready I was sending it to recording companies and I thought it would be a good tool to use for interesting managers. The cd set a roller coaster in motion. People really responded to it. It sparked off a chain of events that is really amazing.  I’ve just been signed by Telarc and they will be releasing the CD in August.

PCM: Is that how you were signed by Columbia Artists Management?

Simone: The first thing that happened was that a number of managements became very interested in talking with me because of the recording. This amazing thing happened - a man in Israel heard about my recording and listened to it and he just loved it and decided to help me. He presented me in recital at Carnegie Hall - Weill Recital Hall playing the Goldberg Variations. At that concert we invited all the different managements to come. The concert was sold out, it was filled with really influential people, I got a wonderful review in the New York Times and I was signed on by Columbia Artists Management.

PCM:  Will you be touring to support the recording?

Simone: Yes, a lot of the places I will be playing will be universities around the country and alternative venues.  I will also be performing them at Town Hall in New York, the Salle Cortot in Paris and the Wigmore Hall on London.

PCM: You have a lot of debuts coming up. Is there a particular one you are really excited about?
 
Simone: I’m really excited that I will be playing in Berlin at the Philharmonie. I’ve never played in Berlin. I have some really exciting concerts coming up performing in many places I haven’t played in before. Next season I’ll be traveling the most I have so far.

PCM: Is it because of the Goldberg Variations recording?
 
Simone: Part of it is the cd, a lot of it is because of my manager, Tanja Dorn. I was featured in an article in the New York Times last September where they talk about five up and coming classical musicians in the United States. That sparked off a lot interest from presenters all over he world. I also had an important concert at the Metropolitan Museum in November that was sold out. My career has been gaining a lot of momentum.