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Heather Schmidt (born 1974) is a Canadian American composer and pianist.

Early years and education
Heather Schmidt was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1974. At the age of four she began taking piano lessons, and at five she learned composition. Her first public appearance was at the age of six. Her first appearance on television was at eight years old. She attended Indiana University, where she double-majored in composition and piano performance, receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. At the age of 21, she obtained her Doctor of Music at the same University, being the youngest student to receive it at Indiana University. Schmidt also studied for two years at Juilliard.

Composition
Her compositions have been performed throughout North America, and in Russia, Czech Republic, France, Finland, Germany, England, Switzerland, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, Iceland, Cyprus, and the British West Indies.

Commissions
Schmidt's works have been commissioned by organizations such as the Canada Council for the Arts, Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Germany, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Alberta Foundation, the Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Harvard Musical Association. In 1995, she composed the "commissioned piece" (Phantoms) for the Banff International String Quartet Competition.

Film, TV, and Video Games
Schmidt has also composed for film, television, and video games. Some movie examples include Empire of the Sharks, which premiered on Syfy in 2017, and Jurassic School, which appeared on Netflix in 2017. As well, movies such as Break-up Nightmare, which premiered on Lifetime in 2016, and How To Get Rid Of A Body And Still Be Friends in 2018.

Schmidt has composed for a video game called Homesick, which was released in 2015.

Schmidt has also written, directed, and composed her own films. The Uninvited Ghost premiered in 2010, and Midnight Violin premiered on Bravo in 2011.

Performance
Something about her career as a concert pianist.

Collaborations
Schmidt has collaborated several times with Canadian cellist Shauna Rolston. In 2002, they performed a recital at the Winnipeg New Music Festival. In 2003, the duo recorded a concert in Hamilton that was broadcast on CBC's Two New Hours radio program. In October of that same year, the duo were part of an official delegation that accompanied the 26th Governor-General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson, on a state visit to Finland and Iceland, where they gave concerts with Canadian soprano Measha Bruggergosman. Schmidt and Rolston also performed on the University of Calgary's 2003/2004 Celebrity Series in the Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall. The duo toured The Maritimes as part of Debut Atlantic's 2004/05 season.

Teaching
Alongside her career as a composer and performer, Schmidt has also been an educator. Between 1999 and 2001, Schmidt taught piano lessons, keyboard harmony, and chamber music at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor of Music. Schmidt has also given lectures, private lessons, and master classes at numerous conservatories and universities such as; the University of Windsor, Wilfrid Laurier University, Sibelius Academy, Brandon University, the University of Manitoba Enrichment Program, the Royal Conservatory of Music, Memorial University, Mount Allison University, Acadia University, and Queen’s University.

Composition awards
Schmidt was the recipient of three BMI Student Composer Awards, in 1993, 1994, and 1995. In 1993 and 1994, she received a Dean’s Composition Prize at Indiana University. As well, in 1994, Schmidt received the Canada Council's Robert Fleming Prize, which is "awarded to an exceptionally talented young Canadian composer to further their career development." In 1994 and 1997, she received SOCAN Composer Awards. In both 1995 and 1996, Schmidt won the Ellen Taafe Zwilich Prize in the IAWM's Search for New Music Competition, which "recognizes the accomplishments of IAWM member composers and fosters IAWM’s goal of increasing awareness of the musical contributions of women."

In 2001, Schmidt was awarded a Fleck Fellowship from the Banff Centre. In 2003, she received an award in The Polytech Choir’s 100th Anniversary Composition Competition in Finland, for her work Man, Homme, Mensch. Schmidt has twice received Juno Award nominations for Classical Composition of the Year, in 2003 (for her Concerto for Cello), and in 2012 (for her Piano Concerto No. 2).

Performance awards
As a piano soloist, Schmidt has received several awards. In 1992, she won first prize in the Austrian-Canadian Mozart Competition. In that same year, Schmidt won a gold medal in the Kiwanis Music Festival for the "most outstanding performer".

In 2000, Schmidt won first place in the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's Canadian Concerto Competition, receiving the Audience Choice Award and the Maestro's Choice Millennium Foundation Award. In 2001, Schmidt won first prize at the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition.