MARIJN SIMONS was born in 1982 and received his first violin lessons at the age of four, and simultaneously and without formal teaching - started to compose music of his own. At the age of ten he had completed his first string quartet. Simons now studies composition with Daan Manneke at the Amsterdam Conservatory, where he is also coached by the renowned violin expert, Davina van Wely. His current violin teacher is Saschko Gawriloff.

From an early age he has performed in recital and broadcast for radio and television, his first professional concert being at the age of ten. He made his concerto debut playing the Mendelssohn Concerto a year later and has gone on to play with the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Noord-Hollands Philharmonic, Het Gelders Orchestra, Residentie Orchestra, Limburg Symphony, Noord Nederlands Orchestra, Klassische Philharmonie Bonn, Baden-Badener Philharmonie, and Northern Sinfonia.

Simons has been the subject of a television documentary as violinist and composer; another documentary was aired at the last Cannes Television Festival, with transmission throughout Europe later this year. A further documentary, including his recent visit to the National Symphony of Mexico, has just been shown in the Netherlands.

His first CD - including his own Capriccio for Stan & Ollie - drew favorable response. His first CD on the Etcetera label, released last year, features the re-working of Capriccio for Stan & Ollie for nine players, coupled with his Second String Quartet and First Violin Concerto, Cuddly Animals. Future CDs will include performances of his most recent concertos as well as his performances of some great 20th-century concertos, including works by Milhaud, Hindemith, and Villa-Lobos.

Also due for recording is his largest work to date, Noises in the Night. This piece received its world premiere in December 1999 with the Residentie Orchestra in the Hague, conducted by Jac van Steen; on the same program Simons played the Stravinsky Violin Concerto.

Last year he returned to Palermo for performances of the Hindemith Concerto, then to Mexico where he gave the Mexican premiere of the Villa-Lobos Concerto with the National Symphony and Enrique Diemecke. He also gave a broadcast performance of the Milhaud Concertino with the Nieuw Sinfonietta in Amsterdam. and performed the second Milhaud Concerto with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra; at the same concert the trombonist Jacques Mauger gave the world premiere of Simons' Trombone Concerto.

Simons has also made recital and concerto appearances in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and South America. More recent commissions include his First Piano Concerto for Jean-Bernard Pommier, a Flute Quartet for the Rotterdam Dance Academy, and a Percussion Concerto for the Residentie Orchestra.

Simons has recently been awarded the Philip Morris Arts Prize in the Netherlands.