Simon Cook (Piano & Bando)

Simon leads the Caminito Community Tango Orchestra in London and was born in the UK, but lived in Italy till he was seven. In his teens he worked both as an organ builder, and a church and circus organist. After studying at the Royal Academy of Music and Cambridge University, he went on to study and teach music in the Netherlands and Indonesia. As an ethnomusicologist, he researched the music of West Java, contributing the article on Sundanese music in the New Grove Dictionary of Music. He directs gamelan ensembles at Royal Holloway University of London and City University.  He also plays lizard and sackbut in a Renaissance wind band, and organises monthly gigs at Bracknell Jazz, where he is the house pianist.  Simon formed the Brazilian wind band Polcas e Boas, in which he plays ophicleide. Lockdown was an opportunity to learn the Geuns/Gabla C-system bandoneon, which he now plays in several tango ensembles, including El Chamuyo tango quartet (led by violin virtuoso Kamila Bydlowska), and Dúo de Tango Mumuki, together with guitarist Russell Jarrett. He teaches music at ACS International School Cobham.