August Schmid-Lindner

August Schmid-Lindner was born on 15 July 1870 in Augsburg (Germany). He learned to play the piano and organ from an early age and "worked" as an organist already at the age of 10. He studied at the music academy in Munich under Josef Rheinberger and Hans Bussmayer. In 1889 August Schmid-Lindner received the Mendelssohn Award, a prize given to promising young musicians which allowed him to complete his studies under renowned pianist Sophie Menter.

After his studies August Schmid-Lindner worked as a pianist, but also as a teacher at the Academy of Music in Munich. In 1900 he was appointed professor at this institution and stayed there until his retirement in 1939. He also conducted a chamber orchestra in Munich and published new editions or arrangements of piano compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach or Franz Liszt. For this work he often worked together with Max Reger.

In 1953 August Schmid-Lindner was awarded the Order of Merit of Germany. He died on 21 October 1959 in Auerberg (Germany).

August Schmid-Lindner composed very little during his lifetime, at least there are not many original compositions by him that we know of. He survives in the different editions and arrangements of works by other. The handful of his works that were published all date from the time after 1945. Among this published compositions are the "Variations for piano four-hands" on the theme "Zu Regensburg auf der Kirchturmspitze". The work was published in 1953 through the music store Feuchtinger in Regensburg. In my possession is the autograph manuscript of this composition.