ARIA award winning musician Anthony Schulz is one of the foremost accordion players in Australia and teaches music at Melbourne Polytechnic. His distinctive accordion style and interpretations make him instantly recognisable in all fields of music. His playing, while being true to its roots in the traditional genres including Berlin Cabaret, Argentinian Tango, Folk and Brazilian music as well as jazz, rock and classical music, is unmistakably contemporary and relevant. Anthony has taught music since 1993, at various institutions, including Box Hill TAFE and Victorian College of the Arts, including the VCA secondary school.
Anthony has taught at Melbourne Polytechnic since 2006, starting with VET education before making the transition to the Bachelor of Music program in 2013. Anthony draws on his extensive music industry experience to combine technical skills and industry knowledge for his students. He has performed with leading Australian and international artists and ensembles including Doug de Vries, Dave Samuels The Australian Pops Orchestra, the Victorian State Orchestra (Wozzeck) and Barre Phillips. Anthony has recorded for Paul Grabowski, Elena Kats-Chernin, Nichaud Fitzgibbon and Michelle Nicole.
He currently tours and performs with Zulya and the Children of the Underground, Folia (with double bassist Nick Tsiavos), Sun Most South (with violinist Andrea Keeble), Ball, Hanlon, Schulz (with trumpeter Eugene Ball and double bassist Ben Hanlon) and the Bach Project (with cellist Rachel Scott). The continuing involvement with the music industry ensures that his students at Melbourne Polytechnic received up-to-date knowledge of the contemporary industry.
In July 2019, Anthony received partial financial support and time release from Melbourne Polytechnic to study with the classical Freebass Accordionist Associate Professor Joseph Macerollo at the University of Toronto.
Anthony holds a Masters of Music Performance (Research) from the Victorian College of the Arts/Melbourne University, a Graduate Diploma of Education and Training from the Hawthorn Institute of Education and a Bachelor of Music Performance/Improvisation from the Victorian College of the Arts/Melbourne University. In 2007, his work with Zulya and the Children of the Underground won the ARIA for Best World Music Album for their album Three Nights.
Awards & Grants
2007 - ARIA Best World Music Album - Zulya and the Children of the Underground - Three Nights