William Joseph Schmidt, Jr (March 6, 1926 - April 25, 2009) was an American composer, arranger and publisher of classical music.[1]
He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He produced a large body of solo and chamber works for neglected woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, including several pieces for classical saxophone.
According to the Classical Composers Database, "William Schmidt was a student of Ingolf Dahl at the University of Southern California where he earned a Master of Music degree in composition. Throughout his career, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions."[2] His Double Concerto for Trumpet, Piano and Chamber Orchestra was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1981.
Schmidt operated his own publishing company, Western International Music Inc., in Greeley, Colorado.