Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

July 17, 1935 in Ames, IA

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Peter Schickele is a renowned American composer, musician, and satirist who is best known for his comedic works and his creation of the fictional composer P.D.Q. Bach. Born on July 17, 1935, in Ames, Iowa, Schickele grew up in a musical family. His father was a professor of music at Iowa State University, and his mother was a pianist and music teacher. Schickele began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the clarinet and saxophone. Schickele attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where he studied music and graduated with a degree in composition in 1957. He then went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he earned a master's degree in composition in 1960. During his time at Juilliard, Schickele studied with the renowned composer Vincent Persichetti, who had a significant influence on his musical style. Schickele's early works were primarily serious compositions, including orchestral pieces, chamber music, and vocal works. However, in the early 1960s, he began to experiment with humor in his music, which led to the creation of his alter ego, P.D.Q. Bach. P.D.Q. Bach was a fictional composer who was purportedly the youngest and least talented of Johann Sebastian Bach's many children. Schickele created a body of work for P.D.Q. Bach that included parodies of classical music, as well as original compositions that were designed to sound like they were written by a bumbling and inept composer. Schickele's first P.D.Q. Bach concert was performed in 1965 at The Town Hall in New York City. The concert was a huge success, and Schickele continued to perform and record as P.D.Q. Bach for many years. He also wrote several books about the fictional composer, including "The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach" and "The Ill-Conceived P.D.Q. Bach Anthology." In addition to his work as P.D.Q. Bach, Schickele continued to compose serious music throughout his career. He wrote several operas, including "The Stoned Guest," which is a parody of Mozart's "Don Giovanni," and "The Abduction of Figaro," which is a parody of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro." He also wrote several orchestral works, including "Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion," which is a humorous piece that features a large ensemble of wind and percussion instruments. Schickele's music has been performed by many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Pops. He has also collaborated with many well-known musicians, including the Canadian Brass, the Emerson String Quartet, and the pianist Emanuel Ax. Schickele has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Grammy Award for his recording of "P.D.Q. Bach: 1712 Overture and Other Musical Assaults." He has also been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities, including Swarthmore College, the University of Puget Sound, and the University of South Carolina. In addition to his work as a composer, Schickele is also a talented performer. He has appeared on many television shows, including "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "The Muppet Show." He has also performed live in concert with many well-known musicians, including the pianist Peter Serkin and the conductor Leonard Slatkin. In conclusion, Peter Schickele is a highly accomplished composer, musician, and satirist who has made a significant contribution to the world of classical music. His work as P.D.Q.

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