Florence Simons

Pianist Florence Simons enjoys a varied career as a piano teacher, accompanist, music director and performer. Her love of piano began at age 8 when she first started taking lessons and then later when she continued her musical studies on the trombone. She later discovered her love of accompanying while playing for her high school choir and select girls ensemble. She graduated from Westminster Choir College in 2005 earning a Bachelors Degree in piano performance and pedagogy. While Attending Westminster, she studied piano with Jose Ramos-Santana and Lillian Livingston and piano pedagogy with Ingrid Clarfield, Betty Stoloff, and Phyllis Lehrer. Florence also had the privilege of singing in the world-renown Westminster Symphonic Choir under Joseph Flummerfelt, performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the New York Philharmonic.

Florence has been a staff accompanist at Westminster Choir College, has accompanied for various elementary and middle school choirs and orchestras and has played for workshops, master classes, and recitals. In addition to teaching piano for various community music schools, Florence also maintains her own private piano studio in Princeton New Jersey where her students have participated in master classes, given Dr. James Goldsworthy, and prestigious competitions such as the Mid Atlantic Music Teacher’s Guild and Golden Key Festival.

Florence’s other great love is musical theater where she has accompanied/music directed over 20 productions for various musical theatre summer camps and community theaters in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area. Favorite shows include, 13 the musical, Urinetown, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and Avenue Q.

Currently Florence teaches piano and accompanies all musical productions, recitals, and musical theater classes at Music Nation Academy in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She also accompanies the middle school orchestra at Martin Middle School in Marlton, New Jersey and is the pianist/accompanist at Tuckerton United Methodist Church in Tuckerton New Jersey. She loves teaching and passing on the gift of music!