He is a bass player and conductor born in Iowa who studied at Northwestern University with the bass player Joseph Guastafeste, who was Principal Bass of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He undertook his conducting studies with the conductor Thomas Trimborn.
In 1976 he became a member of the Minnesota Orchestra, where he hold the position of Assistant Principal Bass. During his career with them he has been a soloist three times where he has been conducted by Leonard Slatkin and Andrew Litton. He also served as an assistant conductor with the orchestra for a season in 2005-06.
As a chamber musician he was a co-founder of the Minneapolis Artists Ensemble and with them has made several recordings and commissioned at least 17 new works. He has been a member of the Hill House Chamber Players and performed as a guest artist with Ensemble Capriccio. He has been a guest musician with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
As a conductor he worked with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra as the music director for over two decades from 2000 to 2023. He also held the same position with the St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra between 2002 and 2008. He has also led performances by Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota ad The Kenwood Symphony Orchestra.
Recordings he has performed on include his own Heavy Rescue: Vintage ’88 along with Skrowaczewki’s World: Chamber Music of Stanislaw Skrownaczewski by Ensemble Capriccio, Music in the Gallery II by Hill House Chamber Players, The Minnesota Composers Forum Presents the Minneapolis Artists Ensemble by The Minneapolis Artists Ensemble as well as David DeBoor Canfield: Chamber Music Vol. 1 by various artists.
In the field of musical education he has been a participant in the Adopt-A-School music education program run by the Minnesota Orchestra between 1993 and 2012. He has also been a faculty member of the Twin Cities Bass Camp.
Sources:
- https://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/about/our-people/orchestra-musicians/william-schrickel/
- https://msomn.org/about-the-mso/music-director/
- https://content.thespco.org/people/william-schrickel/
- https://tcbasscamp.wordpress.com/faculty/bill-schrickel/
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/william-schrickel-mn0001678087#credits
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/5440068-William-Schrickel