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Cellist John Simpson began playing at age ten under former renowned Seattle Symphony cellist Craig Weaver, and years later under former Northwest Chamber Orchestra cellist Page Smith-Bilski. Since his first performance with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras in 1997, John has shared his passionate playing and love for the cello with many audiences around the Northwest. While in SYSO, John’s favorite conductors included Maestros Jonathan Shames, Hew Edwards, Gerald Schwarz, Bill Boyd, Mark Adamo, and Marcus Tsutakawa. During the Summers of 1999 and 2000 while at the Marrowstone Music Festival, John was blessed to study with cellists Miriam Shames, Paula Kiffner, and Walter Gray (a founding member of the Kronos Quartet and guest artist on Pearl Jam's 1991 debut album, TEN). John continued to play with SYSO until 2003 when he took his cello to the University of Hawaii School of Music in Honolulu to study under Dr. I-Bei Lin. At UH John played under Maestro Henry Myamura of the University of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and continued his general music studies under Dr. Thomas Yee of Trio Xia, Hula-Master Noenoelani Zuttermeister, and Byron Yasui (named one of the 500 most influential Asian Americans in the U.S. in the field of education).
John transferred to the University of Washington in 2007 and is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Ethnomusicology with plans to graduate in December. John plays with the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra as well as a few local bands in Seattle including: The Dating Pool, Pillow Army, and Velvet Drive. Other Seattle artists John has worked, recorded, or performed with include Jen Wood, Everyday Jones, The Harborrats, Marrow, Jerome Virnich, Suzanne Brewer, The Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, The Cyrus Grape Orchestra, Heyoka, Tim Pollard, Phillippe Brunelle, and Sarah Zirkle. When John is not busy performing or practicing, he is often found busking at the Pike Place Market, usually playing a movement from one of the six Bach Cello Suites. His favorite composers include Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Rubenstein, Chopin, Beethoven, Ravel, Bach, Gershwin, and Copland. John plays a 1964 Conrad A. Goetz Cello from West Germany.
Pillow Army live performance video playlist
"John is a master cellist. His accompanying melodies on songs such as 'Hide and Seek' and 'Flora' elicit sensations of unimaginable depth and splendor."
- Andrew Blakehall, The Dating Pool.
"Hunting for new bands is such a hit-or-miss gig. Sometimes you swim in a sea of mediocrity. Sometimes you encounter lows of sheer awfulness so depressing you want to hang up the headphones for good and get the kind of job your parents wished you had. But sometimes, when you least expect it, you find a fucking amazing band like Seattle’s own the Dating Pool. Your blood rushes, you get all giddy, and your nipples perk up like you just stepped off a plane to Fargo in February. Exhibiting eclectic musicianship combined with deep, superbly smart, yet heartfelt lyrics, the Dating Pool fall somewhere between the Fiery Furnaces and Architecture in Helsinki with the mainstream vibe of the Postal Service. Check out their track "Extra Super Cute Radio" and fall hard."
- MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR, Seattle Weekly 11.07.07
" ... John Simpson from The Dating Pool came in to play cello on the same song ('Artificial Chocolate')...Never had such full strings on a recording before...it's like having the London Symphony Orchestra on it."
- Sam Russell, The Harborrats.
"John throws down...period."
- Billy McManus, Velvet Drive.
2007 Northwest Folklife Music Festival with Everyday Jones
Past Shows:
05.12.08 Meany Hall w/UW Orchestra and Opera Production of Mozart's "La Finta Giardiniera"
05.10.08 Trabant w/Pillow Army and Kaitlin Morrison
04.26.08 Stickman Coffee in Fremont w/Pillow Army and Dave Hates Chico
04.16.08 Rendezvous w/Pillow Army, Hardison, and The End Times
04.15.08 Bank of America Pavillion: Concert for His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama. Presented by Seeds of Compassion: Finale to Beethoven's 9th by The Seattle Symphony Northwest Community Orchestra
04.12.08 Busking @ Pike Place Market
04.11.08 Busking @ Pike Place Market
Comet w/Velvet Drive, The Autumn Film, Venus Verse, and Gabriel Mintz
03.28.08 Tost w/Marrow and Lazybones
03.27.08 Mars Bar w/Farchild, Lesli Wood (of Ms. Led), Dance Music For Depressed People, Holly Grigsby, and Red Solo
03.22.08 Gilchrist Wedding Ceremony on Alki Beach
03.21.08 House Party @ My Place (again!) w/Pillow Army, Discordia, The Harborrats, and Farchild
03.20.08 Skylark w/Velvet Drive, Derek M. Johnson, and Paul Mauer
03.17.08 The Central w/Farchild and Universal Measure
03.16.08 Sureshot w/The Dating Pool
03.14.08 Meany Hall w/UW Symphony Orchestra and Choir. Ralph Vaughn Williams' "A Sea Symphony"
03.11.08 The Triple Door w/Marrow
03.05.08 Comet w/The Dating Pool. T-Rex vs. David Bowie Tribute night!
03.03.08 Babalu w/Velvet Drive, Ben's Jazz Kit, and Olympus
02.29.08 Waid's w/Farchild, Key Element, and King Dro
02.28.08 Jules Maes w/Velvet Drive, Celebrity Orphans, and Boxcar Rebellion
02.27.08 Sunset w/The Dating Pool, The Harborrats, and Mulally
02.23.08 The Shanty Tavern w/The Harborrats, The I Love Myselfs, and Bullit County
02.22.08 Meany Hall w/UW Symphony Orchestra and members of the Seattle Symphony. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor and Mahler's Symphony No. 1
02.18.08 Recording in Tacoma: Cello Parts for "All" by Steve and Kristie Nebel
02.14.08 Mars Bar w/Velvet Drive (CD Release), Bee Simonds, and Ben's Jazz Kit
02.12.08 High Dive w/The Harborrats, Moondoggies, and Widower
02.11.08 Babalu w/The Dating Pool, Mulally, and Olympus
02.02.08 Trabant w/Tim Franklin and w/Wailing Dog
02.01.08 House Party @ My Place w/The Dating Pool, w/Tim Franklin, w/Wailing Dog, and w/Velvet Drive
01.28.07 High Dive w/Marrow, Red Sea Sharks, and White Helicopter
01.25.07 Julia's on Broadway w/Marrow, Get Down Moses, and Hijack Maria
01.24.07 Comet w/The Dating Pool, Beast Please Be Still, Daguerrotypes, and Cock & Swan
01.17.08 Blue Moon w/Velvet Drive, Halcion Halo, and Reef Encounter
01.09.08 High Dive w/The Dating Pool, Your House Or Mine, and Breaker Breaker
12.24.07 Christmas Eve House Party in Everett (solo performance)
12.23.07 House Party in Montlake w/Tim Franklin, Chrsitmas Belles, and Hey Marseilles
12.22.07 Cafe Racer w/Tim Franklin and Christmas Belles
12.16.07 House Party in West Seattle w/Tim Franklin and Christmas Belles
12.15.07 Monkey Pub w/The Harborrats and Discordia
12.14.07 Christoff Art Gallery w/Velvet Drive, Ross Holloway, and Samurai Bow
12.09.07 Chop Suey w/The Dating Pool, Alexander Malloy, The Harborrats, and The Wright Brothers
12.07.07 Equinox Studios: Georgetown Art Gallery (solo performance)
11.27.07 Columbia City Theatre w/Tim Franklin and The End Times
11.25.07 The Dating Pool Crocodile Show on Cable Access TV
11.24.07 Comet w/Velvet Drive, Happy Birthday Secret Weapon, Spanish For 100, and Curtains for You
11.15.07 !!ArtsLaunch!! Wallingford 2007 w/Tim Franklin
11.13.07 Sunset w/the Harborrats, C'mon C'mon, and Golden Robot Army
11.08.07 Mars Bar w/Velvet Drive, Celebrity Orphans, and Jack Shriner
11.07.07 Crocodile w/The Dating Pool and The Harborrats, Mulally, and The Day After Mathematicians
11.04.07 Mocha Moo w/ Farchild
11.04.07 Egg Studios: Recording Debut LP "The New Old Days" w/Velvet Drive
11.03.07 Egg Studios: Recording Debut LP "The New Old Days" w/Velvet Drive
10.28.07 Egg Studios: Recording Debut LP "The New Old Days" w/Velvet Drive
10.27.07 Egg Studios: Recording Debut LP "The New Old Days" w/Velvet Drive
10.24.07 SPU Studios: Recording w/The Keith Rivers Project
10.19.07 Cafe Bella w/Keith Rivers and Daniel Kamas
10.18.07 House Party w/Velvet Drive, The Day After Mathematicians, and Olympus. Hosted by Mulally.
10.15.07 Egg Studios: Recording "Artificial Chocolate" w/The Harborrats
10.08.07 Rendezvous Jewel Box Theatre w/Velvet Drive and w/The Dating Pool
10.06.07 Soul Food Cafe in Redmond w/Jane C
09.29.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
09.28.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
09.23.07 Skylark w/Velvet Drive, Laura Doyle, and Lijie
09.15.07 Bazarov/Meza Wedding Ceremony: Snohomish, WA
09.09.07 Funhouse w/Velvet Drive, Ruxton Towers, and The Legend of Dutch Savage
09.01.07 Deck @ 100: Private Deck Party w/Velvet Drive
08.31.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
08.30.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
08.29.07 High Dive w/Velvet Drive, Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden, and Julep
08.15.07 Central Saloon w/Velvet Drive, The Shannons, and Jumbo
08.12.07 Comet w/The Dating Pool, Mulally, and The Harborrats
07.05 - 31.07 Coon Creek Studios, TX: Recording Post-Debut LP "Wailing Dog II"
07.03.07 Hotel Weatherford w/Wailing Dog in Flagstaff, AZ
06.30.07 Sebestian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
06.29.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
06.28.07 DC's Bar & Grill in Renton w/Everyday Jones
06.24.07 Skylark w/Velvet Drive, Jenny Archimede, and White Helicopter
06.17.07 Egg Studios: Recording EP "Duplicate & Distribute" w/Velvet Drive
06.16.07 Egg Studios: Recording EP "Duplicate & Distribute" w/Velvet Drive
06.09.07 Cafe Bella w/Velvet Drive and Julep
05.26.07 Trabant Chai Lounge: solo show w/Suzanne Brewer
05.26.07 Folklife Music Festival w/Everyday Jones (videos @ youtube.com)
05.25.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
05.24.07 UW Bothell w/Everyday Jones
05.23.07 Whatcom Community College in Bellingham w/Everyday Jones
04.28.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
04.27.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
04.13.07 NACA Northern Plains in MN w/Everyday Jones
04.07.07 Seattle University w/Everyday Jones
03.31.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
03.30.07 Sebastian's Restaurant in Snohomish w/Cameron Nichols
03.27.07 Wailing Dog I released on South Paradise Records
03.26.07 Recording w/The Cyrus Grape Orchestra
