Peter Schickele

Although an accomplished composer, musicologist, performer, and radio host, Peter Schickele was better known for "discovering" the musical works of P.D.Q. Bach, the fictional last and least son of J.S. Bach. Schickele grew up in an amateur musical family in Washington, D.C., and in Fargo, where he became the town's only bassoonist. His composition teacher was the conductor of the Fargo-Moorhead Orchestra, Sigvald Thompson. Schickele went on to become the only music major at Swarthmore College. By the time he graduated in 1957, he had composed chamber music, songs (including r...