Peter Schickele (1935-2024) was a composer and pianist, perhaps best known for his satirical alter-ego P.D.Q. Bach. In the early seasons of Sesame Street, Schickele scored several live action films produced by Mark Sadan and Kirk Smallwood, including three riddle films ("Tomato," "Skin" and "Tire") and "Where the Garbage Goes."
A classically trained musician, Schickele attended Juilliard with Philip Glass. As P.D.Q. Bach, an obscure and questionably talented son of Johann Sebastian Bach, Schickele created a complex history of periodically unearthed "lost" recordings and compositions. Notable works include "Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion," "Classical Rap, S. 96th St," "Toot Suite," "Canine Cantata," and the operas The Stoned Guest and Oedipus Tex. He introduced his P.D.Q. Bach concerts as "Professor" Peter Schickele of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.
Under his own name and identity, Schickele co-wrote music and lyrics for the musical Oh! Calcutta! (with Robert Dennis), arranged songs for Joan Baez and Buffy Sainte-Marie, and scored the sci-fi film Silent Running and John Korty's films The Crazy-Quilt and Funnyman. Animation projects include scoring and narrating a video adaptation of Maurice Sendak's work and serving as musical arranger for the "Pomp and Circumstance" segment of Disney's Fantasia 2000.