William Schmidt
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Schmidt, Jr (March 6, 1926 - April 25, 2009) was an American
composer
, arranger and publisher of classical music
.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois and began playing the saxophone
at the age of six and later added clarinet
and piano
to his studies. He started playing professionally by the time he was 12, and began arranging music a few years later.
Between 1944 and 1946, he served in the Navy (1944–46) as musician and arranger in the Admiral’s band on the USS Iowa
in the Pacific. Following this he attended Chicago Musical College
under the tutelage of Max Wald before moving to Los Angeles
in 1952. There, he attended the University of Southern California
. Studying with Ingolf Dahl
, he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Composition with honors. During the Korean War
, he served again in the Navy (1950–52) as musician and arranger on the USS Tarawa
in the Mediterranean.
In 1959 Schmidt formed the company Avant Publishing, specialising in the publishing of classical music. In 1964, Avant became the core of Western International Music, Inc (WIM), of which Schmidt was founder and president. The WIM Catalog, today listed nearly 1400 compositions and associated recordings.
In 1956 William Schmidt received a DuPont Band Composition Award, and from 1970-76 recording grants from the Ford Foundation
. In 1981 he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Double Concerto for Trumpet, Piano and Chamber Orchestra, commissioned, premiered, broadcast and recorded by the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra in California. He was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and received awards from that Society from 1979 till his death. From 1956 to 2008 he received commissions from many musicians, universities, festivals, and international professional organizations, including several commissions at the University of Northern Colorado
.
After moving to Greeley, Colorado
in 1987 Mr. Schmidt won the City’s competition for writing a trumpet fanfare to commemorate the new performance hall. A Greeley Fanfare for 6 Trumpets opened the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley in 1988; the original manuscript is enclosed in the time capsule of the building’s cornerstone. In 1989 he won the Creative Fellowship in Music Composition awarded by the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities. In 1990 he was Composer-In-Residence at the Breckenridge Music Festival.
Much of William Schmidt’s music was influenced by jazz and folk music. He composed and arranged music primarily for saxophone, woodwinds, brass and percussion—from solos and chamber music, to clarinet choir, brass choir, symphonic winds, band and orchestra — a total of 160 original compositions, and 470 arrangements. All but the last few compositions have been published. His works have been recorded by over 50 recording companies.
An energetic and enthusiastic spokesman of high standards for classical music in education, Mr. Schmidt was also passionate about backpacking, photography, gardening, and studying Asian art, textiles and architecture.
William Schmidt is survived by his wife and professional partner of 43 years, pianist and composer Sharon Davis, and their daughter Heidi; also by two children from his first marriage, to Eva Sweisberger: Pamela Diane and William Joseph III. Ms. Davis continues to manage the publishing business.
Schmidt operated his own publishing company, Western International Music Inc., in Greeley, Colorado
. The company continues to operate under the management of Ms Sharon Davis (see obit below).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger and publisher of classical music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois and began playing the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
at the age of six and later added clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
to his studies. He started playing professionally by the time he was 12, and began arranging music a few years later.
Between 1944 and 1946, he served in the Navy (1944–46) as musician and arranger in the Admiral’s band on the USS Iowa
USS Iowa
USS Iowa may refer to:, was a monitor originally named Ammonoosuc that was never commissioned. She was renamed Iowa before being sold, was a battleship that saw action during the Spanish-American War...
in the Pacific. Following this he attended Chicago Musical College
Chicago Musical College
Chicago Musical College is a division of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt UniversityIt was founded in 1867, less than four decades after the city of Chicago was incorporated...
under the tutelage of Max Wald before moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1952. There, he attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Studying with Ingolf Dahl
Ingolf Dahl
Ingolf Dahl was a German-born American composer, pianist, conductor, and educator.-Biography:Born in Hamburg, Germany to a German father and a Swedish mother, his birth name was Walter Ingolf Marcus. He studied with Philipp Jarnach at the Hochschule für Musik Köln...
, he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Composition with honors. During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, he served again in the Navy (1950–52) as musician and arranger on the USS Tarawa
USS Tarawa
Two United States Navy ships have borne the name Tarawa, after the Pacific atoll that was the scene of a bloody fight in the Pacific War.* The first was an aircraft carrier commissioned in 1946....
in the Mediterranean.
In 1959 Schmidt formed the company Avant Publishing, specialising in the publishing of classical music. In 1964, Avant became the core of Western International Music, Inc (WIM), of which Schmidt was founder and president. The WIM Catalog, today listed nearly 1400 compositions and associated recordings.
In 1956 William Schmidt received a DuPont Band Composition Award, and from 1970-76 recording grants from the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
. In 1981 he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Double Concerto for Trumpet, Piano and Chamber Orchestra, commissioned, premiered, broadcast and recorded by the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra in California. He was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and received awards from that Society from 1979 till his death. From 1956 to 2008 he received commissions from many musicians, universities, festivals, and international professional organizations, including several commissions at the University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Colorado
-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...
.
After moving to Greeley, Colorado
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
in 1987 Mr. Schmidt won the City’s competition for writing a trumpet fanfare to commemorate the new performance hall. A Greeley Fanfare for 6 Trumpets opened the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley in 1988; the original manuscript is enclosed in the time capsule of the building’s cornerstone. In 1989 he won the Creative Fellowship in Music Composition awarded by the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities. In 1990 he was Composer-In-Residence at the Breckenridge Music Festival.
Much of William Schmidt’s music was influenced by jazz and folk music. He composed and arranged music primarily for saxophone, woodwinds, brass and percussion—from solos and chamber music, to clarinet choir, brass choir, symphonic winds, band and orchestra — a total of 160 original compositions, and 470 arrangements. All but the last few compositions have been published. His works have been recorded by over 50 recording companies.
An energetic and enthusiastic spokesman of high standards for classical music in education, Mr. Schmidt was also passionate about backpacking, photography, gardening, and studying Asian art, textiles and architecture.
William Schmidt is survived by his wife and professional partner of 43 years, pianist and composer Sharon Davis, and their daughter Heidi; also by two children from his first marriage, to Eva Sweisberger: Pamela Diane and William Joseph III. Ms. Davis continues to manage the publishing business.
Schmidt operated his own publishing company, Western International Music Inc., in Greeley, Colorado
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
. The company continues to operate under the management of Ms Sharon Davis (see obit below).
Recordings of Schmidt's work
- Mary Ann Covert & Steven Mauk - Tenor Excursions (1995)
- Trio Chromos - Trumpet Colors (2007)