Michael Schneider

Michael Schneider (born 10 August 1953) is a German flautist, recorder player, conductor and academic teacher. He is especially connected with later Baroque repertoire such as the works of Telemann and with early Classical repertoire such as the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and founded the orchestra La Stagione to perform and record such repertoire.

Career Schneider was born in Nordhorn. He studied flute and recorder at the Musikhochschule Köln. In 1978 he was a winner of the ARD International Music Competition in the recorder category.

For historically informed performances he founded in 1979 the ensemble "Camerata Köln" (Camerata Cologne) and in 1988 the orchestra "La Stagione". They appeared at the Handel Festival in Göttingen, the Handel Festival in Halle, the Bachfest Leipzig, the Schwetzingen Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, among others.

Schneider also conducted orchestras such as the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, the Cappella Coloniensis, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and the Israel Chamber Orchestra.

Selected recordings Schneider recorded especially the works of Telemann, both as a player and conductor, including his wind concertos (6 volumes), recorder concertos, orchestral suites, Trauermusik (funeral music) for Karl VII, Trauermusik for Hamburg's mayor Garlieb Sillem and the Hamburgische Kapitänsmusik (1755). He recorded the oratorio Der aus der Löwengrube erettete Daniel, the comic opera Don Quichotte auf der Hochzeit des Comacho, the opera Damon and Handel's Rodelinda.

He recorded Bach's solo cantatas for bass with Gotthold Schwarz, the Thomanerchor and La Stagione, BWV 56, 82 and 158.

Schneider's recordings of early classical repertoire include C. P. E. Bach's Magnificat and the Magnificat setting by his brother, Johann Christian Bach, on a Capriccio CD, Mozart arias with Ruth Ziesak, Simon Le Duc's symphonies, Carl Friedrich Abel's flute concertos, chamber music, piano concertos, symphonies, Franz Ignaz Beck's symphonies, Georg Anton Benda's harpsichord concertos, Matthias Georg Monn's cello concertos and Josef Martin Kraus' Requiem, Haydn]s L'anima del filosofo and Ignaz Holzbauer's Günther von Schwarzburg.