Biography
SIMON NIEMIŃSKI was born in London and studied at the Royal College of Music, at Pembroke College, Cambridge (where he was Organ Scholar) and then as Organ Scholar of York Minster. Before moving to Sydney, he was Organist at both of Edinburgh's St Mary's Cathedrals: at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral he directed and accompanied the choir in daily services, concerts, recordings and broadcasts, and subsequently at St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral he established a highly successful concert series, with international recitalists on the new cathedral organ and events during the Edinburgh Festival. He was also Director of the professional choir of The Robin Chapel of The Thistle Foundation in Edinburgh.
His work takes him around the UK and abroad, both in concert and over the airwaves, from BBC Radio 2’s The Organist Entertains programme to Choral Evensong on Radio 3, and Pipedreams in the USA. As a recitalist, his programmes often include unusual but attractive repertoire which will which appeal to organ buffs and sceptics alike. His recordings have helped to revive the music of unjustly neglected composers; his first CD, for example was of Eugène Reuchsel's Promenades en Provence (“This is a splendid release… There is a lot of poetry here.” - The American Record Guide; “Simon Nieminski’s playing is utterly convincing and at one stroke establishes him as a recording artist of the first rank.” - Organists’ Review.)
An interest in transcriptions has resulted in more recordings, including Elgar's Enigma Variations (“Romantic organ playing at its best” - The Organ.) Two of Simon's recent recordings, are the première of Giles Swayne's monumental Stations of the Cross, and another of rare works by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. In February 2015, Simon recorded his first CD for the Regent label, on the organ of 3rd Baptist Church, St Louis, Missouri, of works by Alfred Hollins and his dedicatee composers, which was released in time for Hollins' 150th anniversary of birth (11th September, 2015). His latest disc, released in July 2018 by Resonus Classics, is of Eugène Reuchsel's La Vie du Christ and Bouquet de France, recorded at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Simon's recent live engagements have included recitals at York Minster and Durham Cathedral, Notre Dame in Paris, a Royal Canadian College of Organists annual convention, twice at the International Organ Festival in Japan, and the town halls of Sydney and Adelaide. He has also performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Northern Sinfonia, the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and accompanied the BBC Singers.