Video: “Consider Yourself” First Day Rehearsal with The Encores! Orchestra | New York City Center. Hear the 21-piece Encores! Orchestra capture the infinitely hummable “Consider Yourself!” in this first playthrough of Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!” May 3 – 14, 2023 only at New York City Center. Tickets from $35. Bill Schimmel, accordionist shares, “I am proud to be part of this great orchestra.”

The 2023 Accordion Seminars will be curated by Dr. William Schimmel. It is their 29th smash year sponsored by the Accordion Global Association. – AGA. Dr. Schimmel shares, “We go in a global direction – a global synthesis in a single instrument anywhere or anyplace. Welcome to the ominous side of the accordion – shadowed – mysterious – intimate – subdued – gorgeous – in the background – highlighting – classical – – out front and center – and also can be: (like new york) too surreal to love, but ….. What about the baroque aspect – or baroqueness – finding oneself in the fertile reality of some really bon merde. There is so much to explore – and even more!”

There is so much to digest – and to jest!

There is …….. yes, the built in ironic duality as Dr. Schimmel states: “Hip/square, beautiful/ugly, elegant/vulgar, old/new, classy/ain’t got no class” – never one without the other and two new ones – “terribly sad/ wonderfully hilarious” Tune into the seminars this year – with accordion philosopher, Dr. William Schimmel – and the seminar team. We will give you some really cool presentations and some wonderful hot new pieces – all premiers and some remakes – they will be great fun and make for some really good discussions

“We”ll explore the visual arts, dance, video, music theatre and concept art in the midst of this – what is the goal? as always, content on the highest level
And like the last three years – they will be virtual, July 28 29 30 2023 – Master Class 3 to 4 – Concert 4 to 5. Links will be provided prior to each day.”

$165. entire weekend:
Checks can be made to:
William Schimmel
345 E 85th st 4re
New York, NY 10028
paypal – accordionbill@gmail.com

A sample of the Master Class and Concert topics includes:
How to be your own DJ – How to play a proper Reggae – Asian Culture and Bluegrass – The Choral Dimension, AccordioFear/The Diminished Chord, The Chotscka, Unpublished Ettore – The Left Hand, too much or two little – Three Shades of blue –  Improving your technique Physically – The Classical Accordion in America – Accordio – Ranting – Pugliese (the other “Piazzolla”) A soloist and orchestra in one box – The Art of Humor and it’s levels – and much more to follow.

Dr William Schimmel has recently appeared with Sound Icon in Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art. Sound Icon is a group devoted to innovative new compositions.The composition was “Hyena”, composed by the Viennese Composer, Gerg Friedrich Haas with text written and performed with his wife, Molina Williams. The text deals with the writers’ dealing and recovering from addiction..The piece calls for a chamber orchestra which includes a large accordion part. The performance received a 15 minute standing ovation.

Haas is noted for a genre called  “Spectral Music”. Much of the writing explores extended techniques and performing in microtones giving the ensemble an electronic effect. Haas and Williams both teach at Columbia University. Haas received international fame with his 70 minute work, “In Vain”. Much of the work is performed in total darkness and can be seen and heard on Youtube. Again, the work has a large accordion part, performed by Schimmel. A major performance took place in 2010 at New York’s Park Avenue Armory to an audience of a thousand plus people.

Dr. Schimmel can be seen and heard in the following new films: “The Good Fight” – Honoring Eric Bentley – “The Quantum Leap”, “Halmoni’s Pot”, and “Atemis and the Astronaut” – “Hyena” (soon to be released)

Dr. Schimmel will perform in New York City’s Encore Series in “Oliver” in a two week run starting May 2 and ending May 14, 2023. The Encore Series was founded to bring back short runs of previous Broadway shows of the past both well know and not well known.

For reservations and information: accordionbill@gmail.com