Simon Frisch

Simon Frisch is an American musicologist and composer based in Palo Alto, California. He recently earned his doctorate from The Juilliard School, where he was awarded the 2023 Richard F. French Award for his thesis work. Simon was the 2021-22 recipient of the Fulbright-Harriet Hale Woolley fellowship, during which he served as a resident composer and researcher at the Fondation des États-Unis and the Conservatoire de Paris. His compositions include «Fais doncq ung chant/Requiem,» commemorating Josquin des Prez’s 500th anniversary, and «Sandglass Vespers,» premiered by the New Juilliard Ensemble. As a scholar and historian, Simon has been invited to speak at Columbia Global Centers in Paris, The Juilliard School’s Forum series, and the Arazzo Music Festival, among other international academic conferences. His research and work have been featured on Radio France. Simon is also a cultural advocate and organizer. He founded the Festival Daniou, hosting chamber music concerts in Brittany’s Ille-et-Vilaine/Côtes-d’Armor regions from 2014 to 2018, in collaboration with local communities and non-profits. The festival received acclaim from Le Telegramme, Ouest France, and Bretagne Actuelle. In addition to his scholarly and compositional work, Simon has an extensive teaching background, having taught undergraduate courses and served as a composition faculty member of The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program. His accolades include the 2017 Brian M. Israel Prize from the Society for New Music, a 2012 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers award, and the 2015 New Juilliard Ensemble commissioning competition. He is pursuing a PhD in Musicology at Stanford University.