Joanna Simon was born in New York City, the daughter of the co-founder of the book publisher Simon & Schuster, Inc., Richard L. Simon and Andrea Simon, a former switchboard operator, civil rights activist, and singer. Her father was from a GermanJewish family, while her maternal grandfather Friedrich was also of German descent. Joanna's maternal grandmother, known as "Chibie", was a Catholic from Cuba, and was of pardo heritage, a freed-slave descendant. Her grandmother was sent to England and raised by nuns until the age of sixteen. Simon grew up in Fieldston, a section of Riverdale in the Bronx. The eldest of four, Simon has two sisters and a brother: rock musician, singer and songwriterCarly Simon, musician and composer Lucy Simon, and Peter Simon, a photo journalist. Joanna began piano lessons at the age of six, and then became interested in acting while in high school, deciding that was to be her career. Acting continued until halfway through college, when she became interested in the art of musical comedy. Singing lessons commenced at this point with Dr. Marion Freschl, who advised her to switch to opera. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, majoring in philosophy. Opera studies continued with Dr. Freschl and then at the International Opera Studio directed by Herbert Graf in Zurich and at Spoleto with Gian Carlo Menotti.
Opera career
Simon made her professional operatic debut in 1962 at the New York City Opera singing Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, opposite Norman Treigle in the title role. That same year she won the Metropolitan Opera auditions and the Marian Anderson Prize. Engagements followed around the United States singing with orchestras and she became a particular favorite at Bach festivals. Receiving a huge amount of publicity for her performances in the world premiere of Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera’s Bomarzo in 1967, for the Washington Opera Society, creating the role of the courtesan Pantasilea., she gained a reputation primarily as a singer of contemporary music. She also sang the standard song literature of oratorios, masses and cantatas, Handel, Mozart, Mahler, Beethoven, Brahms and Bach, whom she regarded as “medicine for the voice”. Interviewed in 1971 by William Livingston for Stereo Review she said “if I were forced to choose a single favorite work, it would be the St. Matthew Passion”. Nonetheless, the reviews for Bomarzo and its repeat season in New York City in 1968 were superlative and her success brought national and international attention to the 28-year-old singer, which was a turning point in her career. New roles she sang in the next few seasons included Carmen at the Bordeaux Opera and later in Israel with Zubin Mehta, Brangaene in Tristan und Isolde with the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein and the Countess Gerschwitz in the American National Opera Company’s production of Alban Berg’s Lulu. In 1972 she originated the role of Raquel in the world premiere of Thomas Pasatieri's Black Widow with Seattle Opera and reprised the role at Lake George Opera that same year. Other notable appearances include Atlanta Civic Opera Association and the role of Fenena in Verdi's Nabucco with the New York City Opera in 1981. She also began to appear on television, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and the talk shows of David Frost, Dick Cavett, Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin. Her opera career then continued with appearances in major roles in the opera houses of the world including New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles,, Munich and Berlin, appearing under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, Carlo Maria Giulini, James Levine and Herbert von Karajan.
