Bryan Schimmel is widely regarded as one of the top Music Directors, Arrangers and Orchestrators in South Africa. With a career of more than thirty years, he has worked in theatre, special events, recording and television across a full spectrum of music from rock bands to Big Bands, string quartets to symphony orchestras. pop to hip-hop. He is the recipient of the 2017 ABSA Bank Jewish Achiever’s Award in the category of Art, Sport, Science and Culture. He is the recipient of four Naledi Awards (the South African equivalent of the Tony Award) for CHICAGO, ANNIE, JERSEY BOYS and KNIGHTS OF MUSIC. In 2014 he completed a dissertation on arranging, orchestration and music direction in rock musicals, for which he graduated with a Masters Degree in Music Cum Laude from Wits University.

His theatre credits include music direction of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, ANNIE, JERSEY BOYS,DREAMGIRLS, CHICAGO, WE WILL ROCK YOU and RENT. Bryan’s talents have taken him to the United States of America, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand, South Korea, Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia where he has music directed or supervised a number of international touring productions.

Bryan has worked in a creative capacity on numerous high profile industrial events including the Opening Ceremonies of the 60th and 63rd Annual FIFA Congress, Nelson Mandela's 85th Birthday, and performing before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Bryan has written arrangements for, and conducted, pop stars Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden (formerly of Westlife), Broadway star Amra-Faye Wright and Drama Desk Award nominee Christina Bianco.

He sat on the board of The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company for three years, has conducted the UNISA Foundation and Johannesburg Festival Orchestras, and lectured 3rd and 4th year Composition students in Arranging at WITS University School of Arts Music Division for nine years.