AJ Schmidt, a flutist from Pittsburgh born in 2008, is a student in Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music studying under Marianne Gedigian. AJ studied under Dan Parasky in his youth, and has also worked in depth with Austin Brown, Megan Ensor, and Kelly Zimba-Lukić. He was a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra for four years, and was a guest musician on the Three Rivers Young People’s Orchestras’ tour to Germany/The Czech Republic. Additionally, he has traveled as a musician to Hawai’i, as well as both Portugal and Greece with PYSO.

He has also participated in the National Flute Association’s high school flute choir, and has had numerous experiences with chamber flute ensembles. His quartet has performed at the Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention, the PMEA All-State Conference, and the National Flute Association convention. AJ earned the piccolo seat for the ’23-’24 PMEA All State Band, and is a winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society’s major artist competition in 2026, as well as their young artist competition on flute, on piccolo, and in a small ensemble. Additionally, he has won the Flute Society of Washington’s Honors Competition, Woodbridge Flute Choir Concerto Competition, the Central Ohio Flute Association Junior and Senior divisions, as well as several other regional competitions. AJ plans to move on to major in flute performance after he graduates from high school, with hopes of earning a chair in a major symphony orchestra.

Schmidt is a strong advocate for strong music education for a variety reasons. Primarily, he has found that music education helps one connect and find community in a beautiful, wordless form of art. For this reason, he is steadfast in his belief that music education should come at the highest quality.