Simon Hutchings--Saxophones, Clarinet, Flute

Simon, a native of Kingston-upon-Thames, England is currently Adjunct Instructor of Saxophone and Chamber Music at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida, and at Daytona Beach Community College. He holds a Master of Music degree from Arizona State University, having served as a teaching assistant for three years, and is finishing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Wytko.

Simon received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College of Music--London, studying with Hale Hambleton (London Saxophone Quartet; English National Opera) and Christopher Gradwell (co-founder London Saxophone Quartet). While at Trinity he reached the semi-final stage of the BBC 2 "Young Musician of the Year" competition, and performed at the Henley Arts Festival's "Young Musicians Platform" two years running.

Simon is a versatile performer and teacher in many varied musical genres and currently enjoys a busy performing schedule. He was alto saxophonist with the Joseph Wytko Saxophone Quartet from 1998 to 2004, and has performed with many ensembles from Phoenix and elsewhere, including the Phoenix Symphony and the USAF Falconaires. He is currently a member of the Seaside Music Theater Orchestra in Daytona Beach, FL, where he performs as a single reeds player and performs with many of the touring Broadway shows and national acts that come through Florida.

As a founding member of the Helios Saxophone Quartet, Simon has performed throughout the US, including recitals at the 2002 CBDNA Conference in Reno, NV, the 2003 World Saxophone Congress in Minneapolis, MN, and a 2004 New York City debut at Merkin Concert Hall. The group also served as Artists-in-Residence for the 2003-2004 season at Brevard College in North Carolina.

Since moving to the US, Simon has been a winner of many international competitions, including the 2003 Fishcoff Chamber Music Competition (Gold Medal), the 2003 Coleman Chamber Music Competition (1st Prize), and the 2000 Monterey Bay Chamber Music Competition in Carmel, CA (1st Prize). He is also a past winner of the ASU Contemporary Music Competition in both the Solo (Winner 2001, 2nd Place 2002) and the Chamber Music (Winner 2002, Winner 2003) categories.

Simon can be heard on the CD "Trinity Fair," released in 1994 on Hep Records, featuring the Trinity College Big Band with Bob Florence and as a member of the Joseph Wytko Saxophone Quartet on that group's CD recording, "Entangoment" (Time Grabber Digital 2000.)