Heather Schmidt

Heather Schmidt is recognized as one of the most gifted concert pianists and finest composers of her generation. She has been described as "a brilliant virtuoso pianist”, “poised and utterly musical”, “a great artist", and "as much a pianist in the professional sense as she is a composer". She has received international acclaim through performances, broadcasts, commissions and awards in Canada, the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, England, Cyprus, Mexico, Brazil, and the British West Indies.

Ms. Schmidt began music studies at the age of 4. Throughout her education, Heather pursued double majors in piano performance and composition, and at age 21 she became the youngest student to receive a doctorate from Indiana University. She also completed two years of professional studies at Juilliard in New York City.

As a virtuoso pianist, Ms. Schmidt excels in both traditional and contemporary repertoire. Recent and upcoming performances include solo recitals and concerto performances in North America, Mexico and Europe. Heather also performs regularly with cellist Shauna Rolston and both artists are on the roster of Canada’s prestigious “Piano Six/Piano Plus”.

As a composer, Heather Schmidt has been compared to such illustrious composer-pianist predecessors as Mozart and Rachmaninoff. She has held short-term and long-term composer-in-residence positions around the world, including a residency with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (2002-2005). Upcoming premieres include a piano trio for the Gryphon Trio, a saxophone quartet concerto for the Rascher Saxophone Quartet, a double concerto for cello and piano with cellist Shauna Rolston, a double concerto for viola and piano with violist Rivka Golani, a solo multi-percussion work for Beverly Johnston, a two-piano duo for Karen and Jeff Savage, and her Piano Concerto No. 5 “Ammolite” which Ms. Schmidt will perform herself in May of 2009 with the Calgary Philharmonic.

Ms. Schmidt’s many performance and composition honours and awards include an invitation to perform as part of the Governor General’s Canadian state delegation to Iceland and Finland (2003), first prize as pianist in the prestigious Eckhardt-Gramatté and the Canadian Concerto competitions, three consecutive BMI composing awards, the Robert Fleming Prize from Canada Council, and a Juno nomination in the category of “Best Classical Composition.”

An acclaimed recording artist, Ms. Schmidt received the Opus Magazine’s Best Classical CD award for her solo piano CD “Solus”. Upcoming releases include: “Shimmer” a CD of solo piano music, a CD for Naxos of rarely heard solo piano music by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, and a duo CD with cellist Shauna Rolston. Heather also has a growing presence in the film and television industry. In addition to composing scores for films and documentaries, she has appeared in recital on BRAVO Channel’s “The Classical Now”, and was selected as the subject of a one hour documentary “Synchronicity” (RedStar Films) which first aired on BRAVO in January 2008.

In addition to performance and composition, Ms. Schmidt is committed to teaching and education. She is a regular presenter at professional music associations and conferences and has been invited to give lectures, master classes, and private lessons throughout North America. Abroad, she has been a guest instructor at institutions such as University of Mexico, the Sibelius Academy in Finland, the Iceland Academy of Music, and the Schloss Elmau Festival in Germany. From 1999 – 2001, Dr. Schmidt was on the faculty at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. She currently teaches composition and piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and commutes to Dallas, Texas where she is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Southern Methodist University. Heather Schmidt is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Music Performance Institute.

For more information and updates please visit www.heatherschmidt.com. [Heather Schmidt is managed by Michael Dufresne –President, Michael Gerard Management Group www.mgmg.ca.]