William Schimmel has an
earned Doctorate of Music from The Juilliard School. He is a composer,
authour, lecturer, philosopher, and virtuoso accordionist. He performs
music from the classical realm to pop and has performed and recorded
with every major symphony orchestra. Pop star colleagues range from
Sting to Tom Waits, who says, "Bill Schimmel doesn't play the
accordion; he is the accordion."
Regarded as the "World's Greatest Accordionist" by National
Public Radio, he is also considered an authority on Kurt Weill's
music on accordion. He is a prolific composer from concert stage
to Broadway theater, including countless accordion works, test pieces,
and commissions
from the American Association
(AAA). Bill is the founder of the renowned Tango Project has
appeared with Oscar winner Al Pacino in the film Scent of a Woman
and has commissioned prominent composers. Keyboard Magazine (1992)
cited Dr. Schimmel as "Best Accordionist" and the figure
who philosophically has done the most to elevate the accordion's
image in mainstream musical forms, such as classical, ethnic, avant
garde, and pop. Dr. Schimmel's theatre works made accordion history.
Dr. Schimmel has taught at Juilliard, Brooklyn College (C.U.N.Y),
Neupauer Conservatory (Dean), Upsala College and has lectured on
Accordion related subjects at Princeton, Brandeis, University of
Missouri and Columbia. He now heads the Neupauer Condervatory Order
of the Shield Program in New York, a private studies program for
gifted students on the university and graduate level. He is married
to dancer/choreographer Micki Goodman. They have a 19 year old son
Michael, a special Olympics winner.
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