Schade attended St. Michael's Choir School in Toronto. Besides the regular Choir School concerts he appeared in a production of Fiddler on the Roof at Holy Name of Mary High School (then in Mississauga), playing the Russian tenor in "To Life". In March 2007, Schade and Adrianne Pieczonka were the first Canadians awarded the Austrian title of Kammersänger. Schade's recording of the St Matthew Passion (Teldec), conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance.