Simon Harden

Simon Harden currently lives in Dublin after a lengthy sojourn abroad with stints in Berlin Hamburg, Frankfurt and Paris.  At present, he lectures in Organ performance at the TU Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama.  Previous to this, he held positions as organist and choir director at the Anglican church in Frankfurt and the Christuskirche in Bad Vilbel.  Regular concert engagements take him throughout Europe and further afield. He has performed solo recitals in such venues as Notre-Dame Paris, Westminster Abbey London, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall and St Jacobi Hamburg.

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Simon began his studies at Trinity College Dublin reading Music and History of Art. Further studies at the Music Academies in Berlin and Hamburg led to a first-class Postgraduate degree in performance followed by a ‘Premier Prix’ for his studies in Paris.  On receiving a scholarship from the City of Hamburg, he took the ‘Konzertexamen’ with distinction, the highest award for performance in Germany.

Simon has won several prizes in international competitions including 1st prize and audience prize at the ‘International Schnitger Organ Competition’ in the Netherlands and 2nd prize at the ‘Grand Prix Bach de Lausanne’.  He was also awarded the DAAD prize for ‘outstanding performance and intercultural involvement’ whilst in Hamburg.

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In addition to his work as an organist, Simon has extensive experience as a choral conductor and recently directed a performance of Mozart’s Requiem in Frankfurt with the period instrument ensemble Main-Barockorchester. His research into new and historic organs is published regularly in the international ‘Choir and Organ’ magazine. He has recorded solo CDs on the Marcussen organ in Gettorf and the new Glatter-Götz organ in Frankfurt.

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