Piano with Purpose: Peter Simon’s Upcoming Concerts
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- 2 days ago
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Internationally acclaimed pianist Peter Simon has long been known for his ability to connect with audiences beyond the stage. This May, he will bring that same sense of connection and care to a unique series of performances in Israel—not to dazzle with spectacle, but to share the quiet power of music in places where it’s needed most.
From May 20–25, 2025, Simon will offer a week of free concerts and educational events throughout Israel, visiting schools, cultural institutions, and local communities. The focus of the tour is not publicity or prestige, but presence—offering music as a universal language that comforts, uplifts, and brings people together.
A Tour Grounded in Connection The upcoming tour includes performances at the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem, a girls’ orphanage, and several community venues in cities such as Arad and Ariel. Simon will also perform for residents of Nahal Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza border, currently living in temporary housing.
In addition to his concerts, he will offer masterclasses at the Gonenim Music Conservatory in Jerusalem and the Tiberius Music Conservatory. “These aren’t traditional concert halls, and that’s part of the beauty of it,” Simon shares.
“Some of the most meaningful performances of my life have been in settings where the music reached people in a very personal way.”
Leaving More Than Music Behind Simon’s tour is also marked by a lasting contribution—he will donate two grand pianos: one to the town of Katzrin in the Golan Heights and another to the community of Nahal Oz. These instruments will become part of local cultural spaces, encouraging ongoing musical growth and creativity. “To leave a piano behind is to leave behind possibility,” Simon says. “It’s something that invites people to make music themselves, to gather, to create.”
Performing with Intention While Simon is widely known for his concert career and outreach work in U.S. schools, this tour has been carefully curated with Israeli audiences in mind. His program includes selections that reflect the region’s cultural diversity, from Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance and the folk classic Ochi Chernye to works by Israeli composer Paul Ben-Haim.
“It’s important to me that the music feels familiar, welcoming,” Simon says. “I want it to speak to many different people.” A Tradition of Musical Outreach Simon follows in the tradition of musicians who have brought their craft to intimate, often informal settings. Like Emil Gilels performing for soldiers in wartime, or Louis Gottschalk playing for Union troops during the American Civil War, Simon views this tour not as a departure from the concert hall—but an extension of it.
“In moments of uncertainty, music remains a constant,” he reflects. “It reminds us of beauty, structure, and hope.” An Invitation to Listen For Simon, this journey is about meeting people through music—offering presence through performance. There are no grand headlines or press campaigns planned, just a piano, a program, and an open invitation. “I’m showing up as a pianist, but more than that, as a listener,” he says. “To share something real. Something lasting.”
Follow Peter Simon’s Journey To follow updates from the tour, visit: petersimonpianist.com
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