Education
After emigrating from his native Germany, Simons studied voice with Emilio de Gogorza in New York, Leslie Holmes, Emmy Heim and Ernesto Vinci in Toronto, and Yvonne Rodd-Marling in London.
After emigrating from his native Germany, Simons studied voice with Emilio de Gogorza in New York, Leslie Holmes, Emmy Heim and Ernesto Vinci in Toronto, and Yvonne Rodd-Marling in London.
Simons taught voice in the Faculty of Music at McGill University from 1961 to 1993, continuing to teach song interpretation as well as vocal technique privately until his death. He also taught for periods of time at Montreal"s Marianopolis College and Vanier College. Notable students who went on to vocal careers of their own include Stephanie Marshall, Matthew White, Olivier Laquerre, Michiel Schrey, and Daniel Taylor.
Simons also regularly taught amateurs, both privately, but especially at the summer music camp of Canadian Amateur Musicians/Musiciens Amateurs du Canada (CAMMAC), where he was on the faculty for over 50 years.
He was director general for 30 years, long-time artistic advisor, and oversaw the yearly advanced voice studies programme as well as regular vocal training and song interpretation classes. At various times, Simons was involved as an administrator or musical jury member for the Quebec Competitive Music Festival, the Juno Awards, the Quebec Opus Prize, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Voice Competition.
Complementing a vocal performance career in Canada in the 1950s and 60s, he was a member of the faculty of music at McGill University in Montreal and a long-time teacher and general director at the summer musical camp, CAMMAC. He was also a founding member of what later became the Elmer Iseler Singers.