Composer, pianist and piano pedagogue as well as author of numerous publications in the field of piano lessons. born in Basel, he first studied piano, musicology and Romance languages. Later he expanded his studies to harpsichord, improvisation and composition. In 1984, Francis Schneider founded the Nepomuk music publishing house for music education and contemporary music, which he led for 27 years. Since 2011, Nepomuk's versatile program has been continued by Breitkopf & Härtel. In addition to his commitment to cultural policy, for example as a board member of the Swiss Music Council SMR, member of the executive board and copy editor of the Swiss music edition SME or as president of EPTA Switzerland, Schneider is mainly known as the author of various piano publications and books. Schneider finds inspiration and the approach of his varied artistic activities in his engagement with the present: “Be it in the form of a piano improvisation, a piano piece, an ink drawing, an object or a short text. At the center is the present - it is always now”.
(Rainer Stelle)