SCHWARZ, GERARD (b 1947 )

Renowned American conductor Gerard Schwarz is internationally recognized for his deeply moving performances, innovative programming, and extensive recording history. Schwarz, born to Viennese parents, has been Music Director of the Seattle Symphony since 1985 where his phenomenal artistic success with the orchestra led to the building of the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall and an increase in the subscription audience from 5,000 to 35,000. His passion and drive enabled an increase in classical subscription weeks from 12 to 27, created over 125 acclaimed recordings including 13 Grammy nominations and two Emmy Awards, and achieved overwhelming strides in education including five new series and the successful Soundbridge Discovery Center. He also currently serves as Music Director of the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina where he has expanded the Festival's audiences to the largest in its history, enhanced education and programming to include a composer in residence, three new concert series, and increased collaboration with the Appalacian Summer Festival where he is Artistic Partner for Symphonic Music Programming.

Previously, he served as the Music Director of New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, where he developed the orchestra’s international touring, maintained a nine year residency in Japan, created sold out houses, considerably expanded its Mozart repertoire, and through its televisedLive from Lincoln Center appearances earned several Emmy nominations. His tenure as Music Director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra initiated the long standing partnership between the orchestra and Classic FM, drove the RLPO Live label forward and initiated a new partnership with Avie records, created the enormously popular Sunday matinee Musically Speaking concert series which remains the orchestra’s fastest growing audience to this day, led highly acclaimed tours to Spain and Prague, and brought the orchestra to National Television in BBC Proms broadcasts. As Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and New York Chamber Symphony he expanded concert series’ and audiences, made award winning recordings, and championed new works. In addition he served as Artistic Advisor to the Tokyo Philharmonic.

Schwarz’s considerable discography of some 265 releases showcases his collaborations with some of the world’s greatest orchestras, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Czech Philharmonic, The London Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, Orchestra National de France, Tokyo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony, among others. The focus of his distinguished recording career remains with the 19th century German / Austrian repertoire ( complete series of Mahler symphonies and Strauss tone poems ) and contemporary American composers ( complete symphonies of William Schumann and Howard Hanson, and works by Diamond, Foote, Piston, Sheng for example ). Most recent and upcoming releases include the final symphonies of his acclaimed cycles of Shostakovich and Mahler Symphonies, Deems Taylor Peter Ibbetson and Samuel Jones Symphony No 3.

He continues to conduct the major orchestras of the world and maintains his absolute dedication to music education at every level, including his internationally renowned series of Musically Speaking CDs.

Since his operatic debut in 1982 with the Washington Opera, he has appeared with the San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Kirov Opera, Juilliard Opera and Mostly Mozart Festival. He has conducted the operas of Wagner, Janacek, Strauss, Mozart, Bizet, Weber, Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky, and Beethoven, including the US premiere of Strauss’s version of Indomeneo at the Mostly Mozart Festival,  Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot, Strauss’s version of The Ruins of Athens, and Wagner’s version of Gluck’s Iphigenia in Aulis at the Waterloo Festival.

Schwarz has served on the National Council of the Arts. He has received two Emmy Awards, 13 Grammy nominations, six ASCAP Awards, and numerous Stereo Review and Ovation Awards. In addition, he holds the Ditson Conductor’s Award from Columbia University, was the first American named Conductor of the Year by Musical America, and has received numerous honorary doctorates, including from his alma mater, The Juilliard School. In 2002, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Schwarz with its Concert Music Award, and, in 2003, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences gave Schwarz its first “IMPACT” lifetime achievement award. In 2009 he will be honored with the First Citizen of Seattle Award.

See Gerard Schwarz’s Naxos interview.

Albums featuring this artist are available for download from ClassicsOnline.com
ACHRON: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Golem / 2 Tableaux from Belshazzar	8.559408
ADOLPHE: Ladino Songs of Love and Suffering / Mikhoels the Wise (excerpt)	8.559413
AITKEN: Aspen Concerto / Rameau Remembered / In Praise of Ockeghem	AR-0004-2
AVSHALOMOV / SILVER / MEYEROWITZ: Jewish Tone Poems	8.559426
BERLINSKI: Avodat Shabbat (Friday Evening Service)	8.559430
BERLINSKI: From the World of My Father / Shofar Service / Symphonic Visions for Orchestra	8.559446
BERNSTEIN: Symphony No. 3, 'Kaddish' / Chichester Psalms	8.559456
BRAHMS / SAINT-SAENS: Violin Concertos	AR-0003-2
BROUWER, M: Aurolucent Circles / Mandala / Remembrances	8.559250
CRESTON: Symphony No. 5 / Toccata / Partita	8.559153
DIAMOND: Ahava / Music for Prayer	8.559412
DIAMOND: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4	8.559154
DIAMOND: Symphony No. 1 / Violin Concerto No. 2 / Enormous Room	8.559157
DIAMOND: Symphony No. 3 / Psalm / Kaddish	8.559155
DIAMOND: TOM Suite / Symphony No. 8 / This Sacred Ground	8.559156
FOOTE, A.: Francesca da Rimini / 4 Character Pieces after the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam / Suite / Serenade (excerpts) (Seattle Symphony, Schwarz)	8.559365
FOSS: Elegy for Anne Frank / Song of Anguish / BEASER: The Heavenly Feast	8.559438
GENESIS SUITE (1945)	8.559442
HANSON: Merry Mount	8.669012-13
HOVHANESS: Khrimian Hairig / Guitar Concerto / Symphony No. 60	8.559294
IN CELEBRATION OF ISRAEL	8.559461
INTRODUCING THE WORLD OF AMERICAN JEWISH MUSIC	8.559406
JEWISH MUSIC OF THE DANCE	8.559439
JEWISH OPERAS, Vol. 2	8.559450
JONES, S.: Symphony No. 3, "Palo Duro Canyon" / Tuba Concerto (Olka, Seattle Symphony, Schwarz)	8.559378
KLEZMER CONCERTOS AND ENCORES	8.559403
KRASA: Brundibar / LAITMAN: I Never Saw Another Butterfly	8.570119
LAZAROF: Tableaux / Violin Concerto / Symphony No. 2	8.559159
MILHAUD: Service Sacre	8.559409
PASATIERI: Letter to Warsaw	8.559219
PISTON: Incredible Flutist (The) / Fantasy for English Horn, Harp and Strings	8.559160
PISTON: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 6	8.559161
PISTON: Symphony No. 4 / Three New England Sketches	8.559162
PROKOFIEV: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2	AR-0020-2
SACRED SERVICES FROM ISRAEL	8.559452
SCHOENFIELD, P.: Camp Songs / Ghetto Songs / SCHWARZ, G.: Rudolf and Jeanette (Niederloh, Parce, Music of Remembrance)	8.559641
SCHUMAN, W.: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 5 / Judith (Seattle Symphony, Schwarz)	8.559317
SCHUMAN, W.: Symphony No. 6 / Prayer in a Time of War / New England Triptych (Seattle Symphony, Schwarz)	8.559625
SCHUMAN: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 9 / Circus Overture / Orchestra Song	8.559254
SCHUMAN: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 10	8.559255
SHENG, Bright: Phoenix (The) / Red Silk Dance / Tibetan Swing / H'un (Lacerations) (Sheng, Seattle Symphony, Schwarz)	8.559610
SHOSTAKOVICH: Execution of Stepan Razin (The) / October / 5 Fragments, Op. 42	8.557812
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5 / The Golden Age Suite	AR-0037-2
SHOSTAKOVICH: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Symphony No. 6	AR-0017-2
STOCK: Little Miracle (A) / Yizkor / Tekiah / Y'rusha	8.559422
STORY OF AMERICAN CLASSICAL MUSIC (THE)	8.558164-65
TAYLOR, D.: Peter Ibbetson [Opera] (Griffey, Flanigan, Zeller, Seattle Symphony, Schwarz)	8.669016-17
TOCH: Cantata of the Bitter Herbs / Jephta	8.559417
WEILL: Eternal Road (The) (Highlights)	8.559402
WEISGALL: T'kiatot / Psalm of the Distant Dove / A Garden Eastward	8.559425
ZAIMONT: Sacred Service for the Sabbath Evening (excerpts) / A Tale of Abram and Isaac	8.559444