JAMU 20150311-2 – Maria Schneider Maria Schneider (born November 27, 1960) is an American composer and big-band-leader. Her 2004 album Concert in the Garden won a Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, Her 2007 composition "Cerulean Skies" won a Grammy for 'Best Instrumental Composition." In 2013, Schneider released an album Winter Morning Walks featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw, the Saint Paul and Australian Chamber Orchestras, bassist Jay Anderson, pianist Frank Kimbrough and multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson. In 2014 it won three Grammy Awards: Best Classical Contemporary Composition for the work Winter Morning Walks written to poetry by US Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Ted Kooser. Dawn Upshaw received a Grammy for her vocal performance on the same recording, and producer David Frost and engineers Tim Martyn and Brian Losch all received Grammys for Best Engineered Album, Classical. The album fan-funded through ArtistShare^[8] is surely one of the first, if not the first album by major American orchestras to be fan-funded.^[citation needed] Schneider was born in Windom, Minnesota. She studied music theory and composition at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1983, then earned a Master's in Music in 1985 from the Eastman School of Music, studying for one year as well at the University of Miami. Upon leaving Eastman, Gil Evans hired her as his copyist and assistant.^[9] Schneider collaborated with Evans for the next several years, working with him on music for a tour with Sting and assisting him as he scored the film The Color of Money. Schneider went on to study with Bob Brookmeyer from 1986 to 1991. In 1992, Schneider formed The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, which appeared weekly at Visiones in Greenwich Village from 1993 until it closed in 1998. Her orchestra has also performed at many jazz festivals and concert halls, playing Europe, South America and Asia. Schneider has performed with over 80 groups in over 30 countries, and taught at universities worldwide. In 2013, Schneider received an honorary doctorate from the University of Minnesota. Schneider is an avid birdwatcher and enlisted band members to contribute bird calls on "Cerulean Skies" on her recording Sky Blue. Schneider has won numerous awards which include Down Beat's Annual Critics Polls selected Schneider as "Best Composer," "Best Arranger" and for her group, "Best Big Band" in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. Pioneer of fan-based productions Schneider's 2005 GRAMMY award album, Concert in the Garden (released 2004), was the first award-winning album produced by ArtistShare, a fan funded platform that has since, as of 2014, produced 18 GRAMMY nominations and 9 GRAMMY Awards.^[11] Her 2008 GRAMMY Award album, Sky Blue (released 2007) and her collaborative 2014 GRAMMY Award album, Winter Morning Walks, was also produced by ArtistShare. Awards Concert in the Garden * Schneider's 2004 album, Concert in the Garden, was the first Grammy Award-winning recording sold exclusively via the Internet and additionally being fan-funded. * In 2005, the Jazz Journalists Association bestowed four awards: 1. Jazz Album of the Year 2. Composer of the Year 3. Arranger of the Year 4. Large Jazz Ensemble of the Year * Schneider's composition Cerulean Skies, from the album Sky Blue, won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. Winter Morning Walks * The album Winter Morning Walks, featuring Dawn Upshaw in collaboration with Schneider, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra won three GRAMMY awards for Best Classical Vocal Solo,^[8] Best Classical Contemporary Composition and Best Engineered Album, Classical. In addition, the producer, David Frost won a GRAMMY for Producer of the Year.^[14] The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra * Evanescence, ArtistShare AS0006 (CD) (1994 Enja re-released 2005 ArtistShare) Recorded September 1992 at Skyline Studios, New York City, engineer, Paul Wickliffe * Coming About, ArtistShare AS0087 (CD) (1996 Enja re-released 2008 ArtistShare) Recorded November 9 & 10, 1995, at Clinton Recording Studios, New York City, engineer, Jim Anderson * Live At The Jazz Standard—Days Of Wine And Roses, ArtistShare AS0017 (CD) (2000) Recorded January 2000, live at the Jazz Standard, New York City, (live to 2-track) engineer, David Baker * Allegresse, ArtistShare AS0005 (CD) (2000 Enja re-released 2005 ArtistShare) Recorded January 26 & 27, 2000, at Clinton Recording Studios, New York City, engineer, James Farber * Concert in the Garden, ArtistShare AS0001 (2004) Recorded March 8, 9, 10 & 11, 2004, at Avatar Studios, New York City, engineer, David Baker * Sky Blue, ArtistShare AS0065, (2007) Recorded January 6–9, 2007, at Legacy Recording Studios, New York City, engineer, Joe Ferla * Winter Morning Walks, ArtistShare AS0121 (2013) Dawn Upshaw with the Australian Chamber Orchestra Recorded May 2 & 3, 2012, at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City, engineers, Tim Martyn & Brian Losch, producer, David Frost Dawn Upshaw with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Recorded September 26 & 27, 2012, at the Ted Mann Concert Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, engineers, Tim Martyn & Brian Losch, producer, David Frost External links * Maria Schneider's website * ArtistShare website * "In Conversation with Maria Schneider" by Eugene Marlowe, Jazz.com. * NewMusicBox: "Navigating Comfort Zones" (November 1, 2008). Maria Schneider in conversation with Frank J. Oteri on October 1, 2008. (includes video) Diskografie Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra - Evanescence Label: Artistshare ‎– 0006 Released: 2005 Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra - Coming About Label: Artistshare 0087 Released: 2008 http://www.discogs.com/Maria-Schneider-Jazz-Orchestra-Coming-About/release/2406785 Maria Schneider Orchestra - Days Of Wine And Roses - Live At Jazz Standard Label: ArtistShare 0017 Released: 2000 http://www.discogs.com/Maria-Schneider-Orchestra-Days-Of-Wine-And-Roses-Live-At-Jazz-Standard/relea se/2507965 Maria Schneider Orchestra - Allégresse Label: ArtistShare 0005 Released: 2000 http://www.discogs.com/Maria-Schneider-Orchestra-All%C3%A9gresse/release/2406865 Maria Schneider Orchestra - Concert In The Garden Label: ArtistShare 0001 Released: 2004 http://www.discogs.com/Maria-Schneider-Orchestra-Concert-In-The-Garden/release/2399251 Maria Schneider Orchestra - Sky Blue Label: ArtistShare 0065 Released: 2007 http://www.discogs.com/Maria-Schneider-Orchestra-Sky-Blue/release/2507688 Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider - Winter Morning Walks Label: ArtistShare ‎– AS0121 Released: 2013 http://www.discogs.com/Dawn-Upshaw-Maria-Schneider-Australian-Chamber-Orchestra-Saint-Paul-Chamber- Orchestra-Winter-Morning/release/4398975