Peter Schickele

American composer, musician, musical educator and parodist. In a long and active career he wrote and arranged for classical, jazz, rock, and folk ensembles, providing music for concerts, films, television, radio, and the stage. He became wildly successful as his alter-ego, Professor Schickele, who convulsed audiences for over three decades with mock productions of 28th century baroque music, mostly by "P. D. Q. Bach." From 1990 to 1993, Schickele's P. D. Q. Bach recordings earned him four consecutive wins for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.

A Professor of Music at the University of Southern North Dakota, Schickele introduced his inventive composer in 1965, reputedly "the last and least of the many children of Johann Sebastian Bach." The works included, over the years, an opera, The Abduction of Figaro, and early attempts as stylistic fusions such as the bluegrass cantata Blaues Grass, Grune Himmel. It also required the development of instruments such as the left-handed sewer flute, the slide music stand, the windbreaker and more.

Over the years, the works of P.D.Q. Bach were performed by many of the world’s greatest orchestras, often with hilarious results if not uproarious eruptions of joy from the audience. Schickele is internationally recognized as one of the most versatile and imaginative creative artists in the musical world. Over a hundred works are available for symphony orchestras, choral groups, chamber ensembles, voice, movies, and television, giving him a respectable voice in the annals of American music. He toured with a program of original songs, singing some of his works with the poetry written by his wife, Susan Sindall. Annually, he gave an all-Schickele chamber music concert in New York. As a recording artist, he released some dozen LPs and innumerable scores and as a performing artist, his appearances sold-out rapidly.