Jade Simmons Revolutionary Rhythm CD Release Party/Concert March 23, 2009

Please RSVP To [email protected]

Here is a preview of what Jade brings to Classical music and her background

Pianist Jade Simmons' debut CD The Rhythm Project: Revolutionary Rhythm is poised to cross industry lines and smash stereotypes. Featured as the ‘Release of the Month’ for KOCH/E1’s International Classics for March, Revolutionary Rhythm is an eclectic collection of Contemporary and Modern American classical music that displays Jade's affinity for highly rhythmic repertoire. In this genre-busting debut, Jade performs the music of iconic American composers Samuel Barber and John Corigliano as well as a younger guard including Austin-based electronic music guru Russell Pinkston. In Haitian-American violinist/composer DBR's (Daniel Bernard Roumain) Hip-Hop Studies and Etudes, Jade uses a loop pedal and performs alongside electronic hip-hop beats manufactured by Simmons and Los Angeles-based colleague and band mate Jonathan Sanford. The Rhythm Project: Revolutionary Rhythm will be released nationwide on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 with launch events in Houston and New York City.

On Monday, March 23, 2009, Jade will bring back the musical days of Rockefeller Hall by performing one of the first public concerts in its historic environs since the venue's closing as a nightclub in 1997. This will not be your typical classical recital; it will be half party, half concert beginning with a catered mixer starting at 7pm and the concert beginning at 8pm sharp. A highlight of the evening will be a collaborative performance alongside Houston Free Press' 2008 Best Artist of the Year, Roburt Reynolds AKA Room 101, in a special rendition of DBR's (Daniel Bernard Roumain) Hip-Hop Studies and Etudes. Rockefeller Hall is located at 3620 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas.

The Seattle Times raves that Jade’s "uncanny ability to connect classical music with the sounds of today" is inspiring. Known for her versatility and charisma both on and off the stage, pianist Jade Simmons was crowned Miss Illinois and first runner-up at the 2000 Miss America Pageant where she performed Chopin live before a television audience of millions. Jade is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds a Master’s degree from Rice University, where she studied with Jon Kimura Parker as a Provost Fellow. She is passionate about the role of the arts in education and created Mozart on the Move, a program that was used with great success throughout HISD, educating and introducing students to the passion and relevance of the arts.