Simona Pop

Biography
Articles

Simona 'Simi' Pop (producer, composer) A classically trained pianist turned self-taught saxophonist, Simi co-founded the Jazz Band in Baia Mare, Romania, receiving recognition from the Pro Muzica Foundation. She then played saxophone on national TV and at the Bucharest-based Dakino Film Festival. Later, in New York City, she played with Cabana Rock and currently forms the jazz duo SiMiDaNi. Simona holds a BA in Opera Directing and earned her master's at Hunter College, CUNY. She directed contemporary operas in Romania, commissioned by The Ernst von Siemens Foundation, Bucharest National University of Music, and Bucharest Goethe Institute. Her diverse career in NYC encompasses roles as stage manager for Dicapo Opera Theatre as well as off-Broadway and New York International Fringe Festival productions. Recently, she has been involved in jazz music composition and production.

Awards

Pro Muzica Foundation Award

18th Century Reading Room honorable mention

Gear

Yamaha U3 piano

Yanagisawa A 902 alto sax

Daniel Garbin: Rising

by Jack Bowers
July 16, 2025

Rising is the debut recording from Romanian-born guitarist Daniel Garbin who shows his versatility on the album's opening track (and title song) by performing it on his second instrument, the Indian sitar. Although that is not merely a gimmick (he plays the sitar quite well), Garbin stays with guitar the rest of the way, leading his quintet through a program that consists of seven original compositions, four written by Garbin, the others co-authored by him with the ...

Album Review

Daniel Garbin: Rising

by Kyle Simpler
July 12, 2025

Art serves as a mirror to the world, and music is certainly no exception. Good musicians not only share their talent with listeners but also share their influences and experiences as well. With his debut album Rising, guitarist Daniel Garbin emerges as a compelling new voice in contemporary jazz, one shaped not just by musical influences but by mathematics, world travel and the rhythm of daily life. This album is a testament to Garbin's decades-long journey through genres, instruments and ...

Liner Notes

Daniel Garbin: Rising

by Freddie Bryant
July 1, 2025

The maxim that music and math are related is a truism that seldom gets explored in a deep fashion. It lies like a cliché that we take for granted and rarely appreciate. Daniel Garbin's life and music is a true celebration of that relationship. He is an associate professor with the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and a multifaceted musician. His journey from an early love of ...