William Schimmel recently returned from a December tour of four cities in Germany: Cologne, Baden-Baden, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf where he performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra which is one of America’s premiere ensembles and they perform without a conductor.

Artist director Alan Kay describes the tour in the Orpheus blog: “Our first concert, in the Köln Philharmonie, went very well. Albrecht Mayer, who played a beautiful Strauss Oboe Concerto, also played two encores; we played one: the Rossini “Italian in Algiers” Overture; our accordionist from the the opening work on the program, the Hindemith “Kammermusik No. 1”, the incomparable Bill Schimmel, joined us for it!  (He can play pretty much all the Rossini overtures, from memory, on his accordion).  As is the custom in the Philharmonie, we were greeted offstage with complimentary glasses of the local brew, Kölsch, a festive end to a great concert!”

Dr. Schimmel and Argentine Pianist Dr. Hugo Goldenzweig have released a new CD on the IPS/STUDIO-MUSE label titled: “A CHOPIN/BEETHOVEN/FROSINI/SCHIMMEL MIX”. Dr. Goldenzweig performs Chopin Preludes interspersed with Dr. Schimmel’s original “realities” – Chopin Accordion Preludes. This is followed by Dr. Goldenzweig performing the Beethoven Pathetique with Dr. Schimmel interspersing the Frosini Rhapsody No 2 (The Vaudevillian Pathetique) along with his own spectral improvizations. The CD concludes with Dr. Goldensweig performing the Beethoven Pathetique with Dr. Schimmel’s Spectral orchestrations.

On July 27, 28 and 29, Dr. Schimmel will present his 2012 Seminars entitled: Redemption – The Radar off the Radar. This event is sponsored by The American Accordionists’ Association and it also appears under the title of : The American Accordionists’ Association Master Class and Concert Series. It will be the 18th year for this successful series and it will feature a distinguished array of presenters and performers. The event will take place at The Tenri Cultural Institute in New York and the Master Classes will be at 3 PM and the Concerts will be at 7 PM. Attend this event to experience the accordion in unique performances.

William Schimmel is a virtuoso accordionist, author, philosopher and composer. He is one of the principle architects in the tango revival in America, the resurgence of the accordion and the philosophy of Musical Reality (composition with pre-existing music). He received his diploma from the Neupauer Conservatory of Music and his BM, MS and DMA degrees from the Juilliard School. He has taught at the Juilliard School , Brooklyn College CUNY, Upsala College, New School University, Neupauer Conservatory (dean) and has lectured on accordion related subjects at Princeton , Columbia , Brandeis, University of Missouri , Duke University, Manhattan School of Music, the Graduate Center CUNY, Santa Clara University, The Janacek Conservatory in Ostrava, Czech Republic and at Microsoft.

Dr.Schimmel has performed with many major symphony orchestras in America (and the Kirov ) including a longstanding relationship with the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as many chamber music groups in New York including Ensemble Sospeso and the Odeon Jazz Ensemble. Pop star colleagues range from Sting to Tom Waits, who has made the legendary statement: “Bill Schimmel doesn’t play the accordion, he is the accordion”. He is founder of the Tango Project, which, in addition to his hit recordings with them, has appeared with Al Pacino in the film: Scent of a Woman, for which Pacino won an Oscar. The Tango Project also won the Stereo Review Album of the Year Award, received a Grammy nomination and rose to number I on the Billboard Classical Charts. He can be heard in other films including True Lies, Kun Dun and many others including films that he both scored and performed and a series of films for the Nature Conservancy which have won numerous prizes in documentary categories.

He is an authority of the music of Kurt Weill, having recorded all of Weill’s music that employs the accordion.He is a prolific composer with many commissions from concert music to Broadway and off-Broadway. He has written countless accordion pieces for himself and others including a test piece for the Coupe Mondiale, the accordions’ most prestigious world competition. His “Portrait No I” for orchestra was conducted by the late Leopold Stockowski.

Dr. Schimmel’s theatre works in collaboration with Micki Goodman have made accordion history.He now heads the Neupauer Conservatory Order of the Shield program, a private studies program for gifted students on a graduate and post graduate level. he conducts a successful three day master class and concert series sponsored by the American Accordionists’ Association (where he is distinguished lecturer in residence) moving into its sixteenth season. The Confederations International of Accordionists have awarded Dr. Schimmel the distinguished Merit Award for the AAA Master Class and Concert Series as well as his contribution to the international accordion scene. He received the American Accordionists’ Association Distinguished Service Award for Fifty Years of Accordion activity and his work as Lecturer in Residence. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Great Minds of the 21st Century.

Dr. Schimmel, and his wife, choreographer, director, filmmaker Micki Goodman co-founded and co- directs the Institute for Private Studies, a pluralistic think-tank. They have a 29 year old son, Michael, an accordionist and visual artist—and a Special Olympics gold medal winner.

If you are interested in performing in one of the 2012 Master Classes for comments, constructive criticism and encouragement, or for further info on the CD, contact Dr. Schimmel at billschimmel@billschimmel.com.