Artist description The following is from the article "Anything but Traditional" written by Eric D. Snider (www.ericdsnider.com): "Jon Schmidt -- despite having sold over 50,000 copies of his five CDs and several thousand copies of his songbook; despite having performed sold-out shows in Abravanel Hall and Kingsbury Hall; despite being classically trained and having a technical expertise on the piano that rivals some of the best players of this era -- despite all this, Jon Schmidt is a goofy, goofy man. Red-headed, affable and always smiling, Jon is the same onstage as he is in person: easy-going, ready to laugh, and self-deprecating. Newspapers and fans alike tend to call him "Jon," rather than "Schmidt" or "Mr. Schmidt," and that's how he'd probably prefer it. At his concert at Kingsbury Hall last Christmas, he had children come up from the audience to choose random notes on the piano, which he then turned into a song -- improvised on the spot. He also had his father come out and tell jokes. He also threw mini-footballs into the audience, did a back flip off the piano bench, and danced to his own song as the back-up band played on. That's to say nothing of his music. This is a man who assaults the piano, playing with his forearms, occasionally jumping, rear end-first, onto the keyboard for punctuation at the end of a song. Not to mention the previously described upside-down-playing shtick. And that's how he is in person, too. Kind of silly, very funny, and a little unpredictable. One gets the sense that he is no grandiose, pompous concert pianist. He is a regular guy who happens to play the piano well. "I've never pretended to be a musical genius," he said in a recent interview. "I don't even want to act like it." And yet, for all his onstage jokes and gimmicks, Jon is also quite serious about his craft. He's not one of those flashy "I-never-took-piano-lessons" young upstarts; he DID take lessons, and for a long time. When he's not kidding around in a concert, he can play songs -- all his own compositions -- that will melt your heart, pump up your adrenaline, or bring you to tears -- or all three.He obviously loves his wife, Michelle, and their four kids -- including a set of 7-month-old twins -- and has a strong sense of family. When he was thirteen, Jon's brother introduced him to the earlier albums of Mannheim Steamroller, the New Age-classical group that he credits as being one of the the major inspirations for his music. "They gave me license to blatantly mix classical with rock `n' roll," he said.

Music Style Piano Pop, Classica/New Age Piano Solos

Musical Influences Billy Joel(instrumental), Schubert Art Songs, Mannheim Steamroller (early albums) 80's Rock, Beethoven, Chopin

Similar Artists Manheim Steamroller, Instrumental Billy Joel, George Winston, Jim Brickman, Riverdance, David Lanz, Dave Grusin

Artist History Jon Schmidt, Pianist, Composer, and Entertainer has a refreshingly unique style that is difficult to pin down. Just when you think you have a reflective New Age Pianist, he’ll do a back flip off the piano bench, throw himself under the keyboard and play ragtime with his hands crossed. Say his music has elements of Beethoven or Chopin and he suddenly turns into Jerry Lee Lewis. The style in which he sometimes plays makes you think of Billy Joel, but then suddenly he’s Victor Borge.Born to German immigrants, who raised him on the music of the masters, Jon was already playing Mozart Sonatas and composing his own music by age 11. Hours a day at the piano, however, did not stop him from being well-rounded. He was captain on the varsity football team, the class clown, and the kid at school that got along with everyone.This could be why people often use the term "well-rounded" to describe the music of his albums, "August End," "Walk in the Woods," "A Day in the Sunset," "Jon Schmidt Christmas," and "To the Summit" in which Schmidt spotlights the beauty and the purity of the solo piano. Orchestration is used sparingly to highlight his piano arrangements, which are always interesting and provocative. Schmidt’s original style combines Classical and New-Age sensibilities with Pop-style elements of hook and melody, or "the simple genius of melody," to use Schmidt’s words. He is also noted for his distinctive treatment of harmony, counterpoint, and rhythm. These elements give his music a definite signature, one in which the fun, the sincerity, and the warmth of his personality all find themselves revealed. Schmidt is quick to acknowledge that his best inspiration comes from the special relationships in his life, including those with his wife, Michelle, his children and God.

Group Members Jon and all 10 of his fingers

Instruments Piano with occasional back-up orchestration

Albums To the Summit, August End, Walk in the Woods, A Day in the Sunset, A Jon Schmidt Christmas

Press Reviews Too long and too many to list here. Come to Jon's web site, www.jonschmidt.com, to read what the press and Jon's friends have to say.

Additional Info Come to Jon's web site for FREE MP3 sound files and sheet music as well as free hot dogs and soft drinks! Also, Jon's site has full length audio samples of every song that he has ever recorded.

Location Salt Lake City, UT - USA

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