20.09. – Happy Birthday !!! Taught by John Ruocco and Ferdinand Povel, he finished his conservatory studies with honours in 1997. He gave concerts in Holland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Israel and Jamaica.
Down Beat (Sept.’98) calls him a “strong tenor saxist”. In Holland he was heard seven times in the prestigious live radio program TROS Sesjun, and countless times live for Radio West.
He played with virtually all prominent jazz musicians in The Netherlands, and is co-leader of the quintet Buddies in Soul with the renowned pianist and jazz veteran Cees Slinger. In 1999 Simon played a live concert with trombonist Curtis Fuller (cf. his discography). He played numerous times at the North Sea Jazz Festival, where in 2000 he gave a concert with saxophonist George Coleman and drummer Alvin Queen. In 1999, 2000 and 2001 he also played in successful Dutch theatre shows. In 2002 recordings with Slide Hampton. In 2003 in the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw a concert with Elvin Jones. Many concerts with Two Tenor Case (Cees Slinger pi, Frans van Geest b, Eric Ineke drs, Sjoerd Dijkhuizen & Simon Rigter ts). In 2004 also with Three Tenor Case (= Two Tenor Case + renowned tenorist Ferdinand Povel). In 2005 also in The Dutch Jazz Orchestra. For a survey of recordings see discography.