Three Miller Symphony Hall favorites have joined in a new group, The Simon Alliance, “Jazz Onstage,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18, main stage, “Jazz OnStage” series, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown.

Pianist Simon Mulligan is making his eighth appearance at Symphony Hall. Bassist Gene Perla and drummer Adam Nussbaum have also been frequent visitors. Perla performed with Star Wonder in November 2021. Nussbaum was with Perla in 3 Trios in November 2020.

It’s the second concert for The Simon Alliance. After performing at MoCA Westport in Connecticut, the trio was named after Perla’s 1970s’ jazz group Stone Alliance.

“When they asked me to play with them it was a great honor,” says Mulligan in a phone interview from his home in New Jersey.

“We all have a similar philosophy. They just like to play. We riff off each other, engaging in a conversation,” Mulligan says.

“All of us bring something to the table, to use that horrible phrase. They have a mindset to listen and listen well.

“They are not like some musicians who say, ‘You better follow me, kid. This is how I am going to play.’”

The trio has a few other dates lined up and there’s talk about recording an album.

“I can hear certain things that can be translated into jazz instrumentals, like the works I have played by Leonard Bernstein,” says Mulligan.

For the “Jazz Onstage” concert, Mulligan will perform solo piano as well as with the trio. Mulligan typically does a concert in Allentown around Valentine’s Day, and he expects to include some “luscious romantic ballads” with songs that are “accessible, relatable and enjoyable, not too heavy on the ears.”

He expects to choose songs “everyone knows and some not so well-known.” There will also be original compositions by Mulligan and by Perla.

Mulligan is known for having many influences in his work. He often combines jazz and classical music, but not in obvious ways. “I don’t like jazzing up classical music or playing jazz like classical. Taking a direct quote from Mozart is a bit cheesy. I prefer to add little bits of genres here and there.”

Mulligan displays his variety on his latest album, “A Steinway Romance,” released in December 2021. Noted for its “wishful, nostalgic and dreamy romance,” the lush sound incorporates a number of different moods and varied rhythms. Hints of different types of music are included in Great American Songbook standards.

Other releases planned in the series of solo piano by Mulligan are interpretations of the works of Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim.

Many artists streamed concerts during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdown, but few did them every day as Mulligan did from May 2020 to June 2021. He quit at 400 when he had to deal with the death of his father.

“Instead of stewing at home, I wanted to do something good for the weary brain and fingers. I alternated days between classical and jazz.” The virtual concerts included jazz interpretations of film and television themes, and even showed him playing two pianos at the same time.

The concerts gave him the chance to explore his collection of sheet music, often playing works by forgotten composers.

Mulligan performed with the Allentown Symphony in 2019 for a concert of Gershwin compositions. He has warm memories of the Symphony.

If you look, you can expect to see hockey fan Mulligan at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms game the day after the “Jazz Onstage” concert.

Tickets: Miller Symphony Hall box office, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown; www.millersymphonyhall.org; 610-432-6715