William Schimmel’s new CD, ‘Theatre of the Accordion’ will be released on Roven Records at the end of July. The Album features solo works written and realized by William Schimmel. The guest artist on the CD is Wynton Marsalis. Pre-release orders can be placed on Amazon.com
Internationally renowned accordionist William Schimmel continues to expand the range of the accordion repertoire as he plays his versions of “Der Rosenkavalier”, “Carnival of Venice”, “Candide Overture” and even Mahler’s “Ninth Symphony”.
Additional selections include:
“St. Louis Blues (arr. W. Schimmel for trumpet and accordion) (William Christopher Handy)
“Wozzeck, the Winner” (William Schimmel)
“Sonata for Fiddler”
“Discarded Melody”
” According to Schoenberg”
“MicroBella”
Schimmel has performed on CDs with everyone from Sting to the Scent of a Woman and the Billboard No. 1 CD, The Tango Project. Joined by musical legend and nine-time Grammy winner, Wynton Marsalis on St Louis Blues and Mahler Ninth, his new CD breaks all boundaries and more.
Tom Waits said, “Bill Schimmel doesn’t play the accordion, he IS the accordion. This CD is a true crossover: it will appeal to classical listeners, jazz listeners and the millions of people worldwide who play the accordion.”
Dr. William Schimmel is one of the principal architects in the resurgence of the accordion, and the philosophy of “Musical Reality” (composition with pre-existing music).He holds Bachelor of Music, Master of Science and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in composition from the Juilliard School, along with a diploma from the Neupauer Conservatory of Music in performance/composition.
He performs music in many genres, has commissioned and premiered hundreds of new works, has written a number of books and articles and has made numerous recordings and videos. His music has been featured in a number of films, most notably “Scent of a Woman” starring Al Pacino, where he appears in the famous Tango Scene with The Tango Project which he is a founding member and television shows.
Schimmel conducts a yearly three day Master Class and Concert Series (The Seminars) sponsored by the American Accordionists’ Association, dedicated to the exploration and establishment of an accordion culture, which is in its twentieth season. He has served on the faculties of numerous colleges including The Juilliard School, Brooklyn College CUNY, New York University, New School University and many others.
He is known as an authority of the music of Kurt Weill and has recorded all of Weill’s music which includes the accordion.
Dr. William Schimmel is currently performing in ‘An American in Paris’ at the Palace Theatre on Broadway in New York. In addition to his performances, he also developed and realized the accordion part to give the show that distinct Parisian flavor along with the Gershwin Score. The show has been nominated for 12 Tony awards. A cast album will be released on the Masterworks label in a few days..
For further information: billschimmel@billschimmel.com
