Benjamin Schmid
Benjamin Schmid is a popular violinist known for his chameleonic skills in performing both classical and jazz compositions. He has credited two major influences in the development of his career, one each in these two disparate worlds of music: violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Stéphane Grappelli. Schmid's ability to perform both classical and jazz music effectively is all the more amazing considering his broad repertory in each genre: in classical music he plays works by J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Paganini, Ysaÿe, Berg, Britten, and John Cage; on the other side his repertory includes music by Cole Porter, Gershwin, Kreisler, and many others, including contemporary composer Christian Muthspiel, whose concerto for electric violin Schmid has recorded. Schmid has been quite active in the recording studio over the years, making numerous CDs for a variety of labels, including Oehms, Arte Nova, MD&G, EuroArts, and Basta Records.
Benjamin Schmid was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1968. He began playing the violin in his early childhood and at eight years of age became attracted to the jazz style of Grappelli. Schmid's first serious studies were in Salzburg and Vienna, then later at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
Schmid won numerous small competitions before capturing first prize in the 1992 Carl Flesch International Competition in London. By then he had met and begun performing with both Grappelli and Menuhin. With the former he appeared regularly in concerts in Vienna and Paris and, most notably, at the 1994 Salzburg Festival's opening concert.
In 2000 Schmid launched a highly successful world tour playing works by two of his favorite composers: J.S. Bach and Ysaÿe. His schedule included concerts in New York, San Francisco, London, Vienna, and Tokyo. Though Schmid's first recordings appeared in 1996 (Paganini's 24 Caprices and Bach: Six Solo Sonatas, both issued on MD&G), he became especially busy in the recording studio after the turn of the new century.
Most of his newer recordings have appeared on the Oehms label and include both classical and jazz releases. Among the more popular offerings are his 2004 CD of Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano (with pianist Alfredo Perl), the first volume in a complete cycle, and his 2007 recording, Homage á Grappelli, wherein 'Beni' Schmid performs with guitarist Edi Köhldorfer, bass player Georg Breinschmid, and other popular jazz musicians.
© TiVo
-
György Ligeti : Violin Concerto - Lontano - Atmosphères - San Francisco Polyphony
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Schmid, Hannu Lintu
Classical - Released by Ondine on Sep 24, 2013
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Klami & Englund: Violin Concertos
Benjamin Schmid, Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Johannes Gustavsson
Classical - Released by Ondine on Oct 14, 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Heifetz Favorites: Transcriptions & More
Benjamin Schmid, Ariane Haering
Chamber Music - Released by Gramola Records on Jan 15, 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Violin Concertos
Benjamin Schmid, Christian Lettner, Musica Vitae
Classical - Released by Gramola Records on Sep 15, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 (Live)
Classical - Released by Oehms Classics on Nov 8, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
SCHMID, Beni: Obsession - Hommage a Grappelli
Benjamin Schmid, Edi Kohldorfer, Ernst Reijseger, Biréli Lagrène, Georg Breinschmid
Classical - Released by Oehms Classics on Jan 1, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J.S.: Violin Sonatas and Partitas, Bwv 1001-1006
Classical - Released by Oehms Classics on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stradihumpa
Benjamin Schmid, Andreas Martin Hofmeir
Classical - Released by ACT Music on Mar 23, 2018
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wolf-Ferrari: Violinkonzert
Benjamin Schmid, Oviedo Filarmonía, Friedrich Haider
Concertos - Released by Farao Classics on Nov 27, 2012
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1-5
Benjamin Schmid, Christian Altenburger, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, German Bach Soloists, Hans Graf, Helmut Winschermann
Classical - Released by CapriccioNR on Mar 10, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
24 Capriccios for Violin Solo
Benjamin Schmid, Janine Jansen, Joris van Rijn
Classical - Released by Donemus Composers' Voice on Feb 25, 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach:Reflected
Benjamin Schmid, Georg Breinschmid, Diknu Schneeberger, Stian Carstensen, Miklos Skuta, Emiko Uchiyama
Classical - Released by Oehms Classics on Jul 12, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Violin Concertos 3–5
Concertos - Released by Gramola Records on Jan 12, 2024
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: The 4 Seasons / Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1
Benjamin Schmid, Camerata Salzburg, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Hubert Soudant
Classical - Released by Oehms Classics on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concerto pour violon, op.101 - Chaconne, op.117 n°4
Benjamin Schmid, Tampere Filharmonia, Hannu Lintu
Classical - Released by Ondine on Oct 2, 2012
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Romantic Duos
Benjamin Schmid, Ariane Haering
Chamber Music - Released by TwoPianists on Nov 19, 2013
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
From Fritz to Django
Benjamin Schmid, Miklos Skuta, Biréli Lagrène, Georg Breinschmid
Chamber Music - Released by Oehms Classics on Feb 5, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Favourite Paganini
Benjamin Schmid, Lisa Smirnova, Ariane Haering
Duets - Released by Oehms Classics on Mar 8, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russian Concertos
Benjamin Schmid, Claire Huangci, Harriet Krijgh, Radio Symphonieorchester Wien, Cornelius Meister
Classical - Released by Capriccio on Jan 5, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach, J. S.: Violin Concertos / Concerto for 2 Violins / Oboe D'Amore Concerto
Benjamin Schmid, Clara Dent, Cis Collegium Mozarteum Salzburg, Helge Rosenkranz, Jürgen Geise
Classical - Released by Oehms Classics on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Henselt: Piano Music
Claudius Tanski, Benjamin Schmid, Clemens Hagen, Vincent Levesque
Classical - Released by Musikproduktion Dabringhaus und Grimm (MDG) on Jan 1, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo