Biography
Simone Monroe received her Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, with an instrumental concentration in clarinet. Upon leaving her native town of Beaverdam and everything she knew, Simone decided to continue her studies and pursue her Master’s degree at the Frost School of Music and the University of Miami and serves as Teaching Assistant to Dr. Margaret Donaghue. Simone Monroe was also awarded the distinguished honor of being a part of the Henri Mancini Institute Fellowship, and recently performed with jazz trumpeter, John Daversa, in the world premiere of Justin Morell’s, All Without Words. One other notable performance soon after, was with the world known classically trained rock pianist HAVASI.
She has worked as a band clinician in the Richmond, Va area, and also gives private clarinet instruction to students of all levels. Simone has also extensively studied the art of conducting under the guidance of Dr. Erin Freeman and Daniel Myssyk, and has worked with the Richmond Youth Symphony Orchestra. Hungry to learn more, she began to learn flute, and began preparing to be a doubler as well.
As passionate about performing as being an educator, Simone has played as principal clarinetist with the VCU Symphony and the Frost Symphony Orchestra and has performed many notable recitals. Chamber music is another passion that Simone has explored and enjoys playing new and contemporary works and timeless pieces alike. Such works would include Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time to Stacy Garrop’s recent work, Archangels(initially for Sax trio, but written for my clarinet trio, Claressence). When she is not performing or teaching music, Simone loves to go salsa dancing and to travel to various places around the world, and learn about the cultures and the people living in them.