Meet Simon Nieminski

Photo: Giovanni Portelli

We are eagerly looking forward to this performance in the 2023 Concert Series on June the 4th at 2:00pm, where the world of symphonic orchestral music meets our organ, undoubtedly creating fireworks.

Simon Nieminski is an organ recitalist and recording artist, with a discography of 15 CDs. He is Acting Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, and former organ scholar of Pembroke College, Cambridge and York Minster.

Simon has created an extraordinary transcription of the Second Symphony of Rachmaninov - and in advance of his performance here in Adelaide, we asked him the obvious question: why!?

Simon recounts: 

It’s just a great piece, with not a single dull moment - from the brooding opening to the cracking finale. And there’s one of those ‘big’ Rachmaninov tunes in every movement. I think the third movement might be the most beautiful piece of music ever written.

It had been on my mind for a while, being basically my favourite symphony, but I’d never had the time to do it. Then we had COVID - which helped with finding the time! Although we were still having chorister Zoom sessions, and I was still going in to play for a few streamed services, there was a lot more time to fill!

The art of transcription for the organ has a long and celebrated history. In the early part of the 20th Century, almost all organ recitals featured substantial orchestral works. What are the challenges of creating an organ-solo version of such an enormous work?

Firstly, it’s long, and there are just so many notes! As with any other transcription of a big, orchestral piece, you can’t play everything, and have to figure out which lines, which textures are most important. Arranging it for organ has inevitably turned it into, effectively, a different piece, but I hope that the Symphony is none the worse for it; and might even give a fresh perspective for the listener. 

Another challenge is that it’s difficult to play - but, that’s what you get for transcribing something which was never originally intended to be played on an organ. Solving these technical challenges is a puzzle that is all part of the fun.

Simon’s recital is at 2pm on Sunday 4th June - get your tickets here.