Schmidt, Ole

Schmidt, Ole, Danish conductor and composer; b. Copenhagen, July 14, 1928. He studied at the Royal Danish Cons. of Music in Copenhagen (1947–55) and received training in conducting from Albert Wolff, Celibidache, and Kubelik. From 1959 to 1965 he was conductor of the Royal Danish Opera and Ballet in Copenhagen. After serving as chief conductor of the Hamburg Sym. Orch. (1970–71), he was a guest conductor of the Danish Radio Sym. Orch. in Copenhagen (from 1971). He also appeared as a guest conductor throughout Europe. Following his first appearance as a guest conductor of the BBC Sym. Orch. in London in 1977, he appeared as a guest conductor of all the BBC regional orchs. From 1979 to 1985 he was chief conductor of the Århus Sym. Orch. In 1980 he made his U.S. debut as a guest conductor of the Oakland (Calif.) Sym. Orch. From 1986 to 1989 he was chief guest conductor of the Royal Northern Coll. of Music in Manchester, England. In 1989 he was interim conductor of the Toledo (Ohio) Sym. Orch.

Works

DRAMATIC : Bag taeppet, ballet (Copenhagen, Oct. 9, 1954); Feber, ballet (Copenhagen, Oct. 8, 1957); Chopiniana, ballet (Copenhagen, Feb. 2, 1958); Ballet (1959; Copenhagen, April 27, 1961); Udstilling, opera (Copenhagen, Dec. 5, 1969); Jeanne d’Arc, music for C.T. Dreyer’s silent film of 1927 (Los Angeles, May 27, 1983); Dyrefabler og Fabeldyr, musical fairy tale (Copenhagen, April 26, 1987); Harald og Tine, musical (Århus, Sept. 9, 1988). ORCH .: 2 piano concertos: No. 1 for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1951) and No. 2 for Piano and Strings (1954); Elegi for Oboe and Strings (1955); Sym. (1956); Pièce concertante for Trumpet, Trombone, and Orch. (1957); 2 accordion concertos (Symphonic Fantasy and Allegro, 1958; 1962); Suite for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1960); Briol (1962); Concerto for Horn and Chamber Orch. (1966); Concert Overture (1966); 2 mobiler for Winds, Percussion, and Piano (1970); Violin Concerto (1971); Tuba Concerto (1975); Tango Grosso (Copenhagen, Sept. 14, 1975); Guitar Concerto (1976); Dansk-Faeresk Fanfare (1977; rev. 1992); Sinfonietta for 3 Quintets (1977); Duo concertante for Flugelhorn, Tuba, and Orch. (1981); Festouverture for Wind Orch. (1984); Hommage a Stravinsky for Wind Orch. (Arhus, May 23, 1985); Concerto for Flute and Strings (Århus, Nov. 27, 1985); Renaessancedans (1986); Rapsodi for Violin and Orch. (1988); Pneumafonikon (1992); Øresundssymfoni (1994; collaborative piece). CHAMBER : 5 string quartets (1954, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1977); Quartet for 2 Trumpets, Trombone, and Tuba (1955); Divertimento for Violin, Cello, Viola, and Piano (1956); Octet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, 2 Violins, Viola, and Cello (1960); 2 accordion toccatas (1960, 1963); Fanfare, lntrada, and Gigue for 7 Players (1967); Festmusik for Organ, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, and 2 Timpani (1975); Raxallo, quintet for 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, and Tuba (1976); Tuba Sonata (1976); Fragmenter og samtaler for 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, and Tuba (1976); 2 accordion dialogues (1977, 1992); Tube and Bones for 3 Trombones and Tuba (1982); Blå strå for Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1986); Jahreszeiten for Oboe and Organ (1989); Karnak for Trombone and Piano (1990); Wind Quintet (1991); Trio Sonata for 2 Trumpets and Organ (1992); Viola Sonata (1992–93); piano pieces.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire