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About
In 1991, Simonds Management of Waterbury, CT merged with the Canadian company General Arts Management, Inc. (GAMI) of Toronto, Ontario to form GAMI/Simonds, Inc. Its directors are Don Verdery and Laurelle Favreau. The combined rosters represents an internationally acclaimed list of artists in the classical, jazz, contemporary, folk and world music genres.
The artists Gami/Simonds, Inc. currently manage are: guitarist Benjamin Verdery, Head of Guitar at Yale University and Artistic Director of 92nd St Y Guitar Society in New York City as well as the summer annual Guitar Festival on the island of Maui; clarinetist James Campbell, Professor at Indiana University and Artistic Director of the annual summer chamber music Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, Ontario; organist and harpsichordist Anthony Newman, Artistic Director of Bedford Chamber Series and of St Bartholomew's Bach Works in New York City; Chile's musical ambassadors Inti-Illimani and singer/songwriter Francesca Gagnon, the voice of Alegria (Cirque du Soleil) from Montréal, Canada.
Gami/Simonds is responsible for all aspects of the artists' professional careers from booking tours to obtaining recording contracts to supervising day to day activities and special projects. In addition to the artists on the Gami/Simonds roster, Gami/Simonds offers its years of experience in road management and U.S. touring logistics to both foreign artists and U.S. presenters hiring these artists on a case by case basis. This includes, though not limited to, consulting on inter-U.S. travel, concert promotion, press materials geared for the U.S. market, day to day logistics of touring in the U.S., and the filing of visa petitions on behalf of the artist and/or presenting organization.
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the directors...
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LAURELLE FAVREAU
A former violinist and pianist, Laurelle Favreau began her career in film and video production. She joined General Arts Management, Inc. (GAMI) in 1983 as Booking Representative for Canada and Europe and was named Vice-President in 1986 working under company founder Peter Sever. In 1987, Favreau purchased GAMI from Sever, representing some of Canada's most respected musicians, composers and conductors.
Favreau dedicated herself to building the international careers of Canadian classical and jazz artists, including clarinetist James Campbell, cellist Shauna Rolston, conductor Daniel Swift, the Amsterdam Guitar Trio, pianist André Laplante, violist Rivka Golani and jazz saxophonist / flutist Moe Koffman. The latter, together with Dizzy Gillespie (who GAMI represented in Canada) was featured in GAMI's best selling touring production, Dizzy and Moe Supershow.
For two consecutive years beginning in 1988, Favreau was President of the Canadian Association of Artists' Managers (CAAM), a lobby group for the artist management industry. In July, 1991, GAMI merged with American company Simonds Management of Connecticut, reinforcing its USA presence in the marketplace.
Ms. Favreau's area of expertise for the company is in world wide sales and market development.
DON VERDERY
Simonds Management was founded by Don Verdery, in 1982, promoting the careers of classical and world-music artists in the United States and Europe. Prior to the formal founding of Simonds Management, Don Verdery spent seven years as manager/agent for the Cobble Mountain Band, a country-rock group from the Berkshires that toured throughout the Northeast, Midwest and Southwest. In 1982, Don's brother, classical guitarist Benjamin Verdery, suggested a partnership which led to the formation of Simonds Management. During the 80's the Simonds Management roster included solo artists, classical ensembles and dance companies. Through Ben's tours, Don met flamenco guitarist Paco Peña who was with Simonds Management for eight years. And, through Paco, in 1989, Don met and signed on the great Chilean ensemble Inti-Illimani who remain on the Gami/Simonds roster today.
In addition to managing artists, from 1986 to 1991, Verdery was the Executive Producer for the D'Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts which presented a classical guitar series in New York City, Washington, Milwaukee and San Francisco.
In July, 1991, Simonds Management merged with Canadian company General Arts Management, Inc. (GAMI) of Toronto, Ontario extending its representation of artists world wide.
Mr. Verdery's area of expertise for the company is in publicity, tour itineraries, artist tech and immigration services.
©GAMI/Simonds, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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