Our Conductor is
Simon Nieminski

Though born in London, Simon is descended from an unlikely mix of Edwardian Japanese acrobats, Lancastrian Music Hall artistes and a Polish army veteran.

His formal study was undertaken in London at the Royal College of Music, at Cambridge University and through numerous master classes. He has many years' experience of the cathedral music tradition, most recently as organist and Master of the Music at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh, where he directed the choir of choristers (drawn from the Cathedral's choir school) and Lay Clerks in daily choral services and a busy programme of concerts, radio and television broadcasts, Edinburgh Festival events and the annual performance of Messiah. Of his work with other choirs, he has also conducted the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union in concert at the Usher hall.

Simon's own organ career takes him around the UK and abroad, with regular visits to the USA. His recordings have helped to revive the music of composers who deserve better recongnition, with releases on the Pro Organo label of the Promenades en Provence by Eugene Reuchsel and the Symphonies of Edward Shippen Barnes - American pupil of Luis Vierne. These have received reviews in such puplications as The American Record Review ("This is a splendid release... There is a lot of poetry here") and Organists' Review, who wrote of Reuchsel's Promenades, "Simon Nieminski's playing is utterly rank," and The Organ, who commented on the Barnes recording, "Pro Organo and Simon Nieminski must be commended for searching out this music and having the courage to record it - would that other companies would make the efforts to record music which is both unusual and worthy". A CD of music by Francis Jackson, Organist Emeritus of York Minster, including several first recordings and unpublished works arose partly owing to Simon's time as Organ Scholar there. An interest in symphonic organ playing has resulted in recordings of transcriptions of works inspired by Shakespeare, and another of transcriptions of works by Elgar (including the complete Enigma Variations) recorded on the "Father" Willis organ of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh. He is, however, equally at home on baroque organs as on mega-organs of the USA, and studied for some years with Nicholas Danby at the Royal College of Music in London before a three-year residence at the 1708 organ of Pembroke College Chapel in Cambridge; he has been fortunate to recieve recent invitations to play concerts on historic organs in Germany.

Simon was appointed Organist of St Mary's Metroplitan Cathedral, Edinburgh in September 2007. He is currently planning a series if inaugural events for the large new french-style organ by matthew Copley, to include concerts and a CD.

Simon became Conductor and Musical Director of The Hadley Court Singers in September 2004, and is enjoying the chance to conduct more secular music.