Born in Kamloops, British Columbia, pianist Arlene Nimmons made her concerto debut at the age of 18 also, with a performance of the Mendelssohn G Minor Piano Concerto with the Vancouver Junior Symphony (1947). She later made her CBC Radio debut in 1948 performing with Flautist Nicholas Fiore.

A graduate in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia, she also holds an ARCT in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto where she studied with Boris Roubakine. She was able to do this thanks to Royal Conservatory Scholarships, the Hazel Ireland Eaton Award and her father, Dr. George Rista Nimmons.

In addition to extensive concertizing in Ontario, she was for 2 years Boris Roubakine's teaching assistant at the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts and the Institute de Ribeaupierre in Lausanne, Switzerland. Her interest in Chamber Music led to collaborations with Violinist Steven Staryk, Nicholas Fiore, the Summerhill and Toronto Woodwind Quintets and Violinist Joseph Pach. At this time, her enthusiasm for Canadian Compositions resulted in Premiere Performances of works by Harry Freedman, Kenneth Peacock and Phillip Nimmons in Canada and abroad. For 2 years she was Music Critic for the CBC in Toronto during which time she was also a "roving reporter" for the Vancouver Daily Province.

Widely known as a Teacher, Lecturer and Chamber Music Coach, she was, for 19 years, the Artistic Director of the University of New Brunswick's Summer Festival of "Chamber Music and All That Jazz" - the first and longest running Canadian Festival of its kind (1966 to 1984). In this capacity, Arlene welcomed hundreds of great musicians including Oscar Peterson, Phil Nimmons and his Big Band, Moe Koffman, Guido Basso, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, the late Big Miller, Jim Galloway and the Pacific Salt, The Orford, Aeolian, and Purcell String Quartets, Trio de Montreal, Walter Boudreau and the Montreal Saxophone Quartet, The National Arts Centre Orchestra, Murray Schaffer, Robert Aitken, Walter Babiak, Mary Morrison, Gloria Richard, Phylis Mailing, John Arpin, John Mills, Gary Karr, Patricia Parr, Misha Mishakoff, and Erica Goodman.

Arlene and Joe were about to embark on a career move to Vancouver Island when Arlene died of cancer in Fredericton, New Brunswick, March 2, 2000. In Memorium

In recognition of her contributions to music in Canada, Arlene Nimmons Pach was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Saint Thomas University (l988) and an Honorary Doctorate of Literature from the University of New Brunswick (1993).