Stefan Schmid

The German-Icelandic dual national Stefan Karl Schmid (born in 1984) has been playing saxophone since he was nine. He logically started his preparatory studies when he was 17 at the Mainz Peter-Cornelius Conservatory, which got him ready for the Music College in Nuremberg. He had a double major in jazz saxophone in the areas of music pedagogy and art. In addition to both diplomas, he was also awarded the Music Pedagogy Prize for the most outstanding diploma. Schmid continued his studies at the Music College in Cologne (Master's degree in jazz composition) and at the Manhattan School of Music (Master Performance). After his collaboration in the State Youth Orchestras of Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, he was accepted into the Federal Jazz Orchestra in 2006. Schmid has won various national and international prizes as a soloist and with his bands Stefan Schmid 4tet and the Orka Quartet. He currently lives in Cologne and New York.