Gerard Schwarz

Internationally recognized for his moving performances, innovative programming, extensive catalogue of recordings and lifelong dedication to music education, American conductor Gerard Schwarz has built a career spanning more than five decades as a conductor, musician, educator, composer and champion of new music. Currently he serves as Music Director of the All-Star Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival, Palm Beach Symphony and Mozart Orchestra of New York, and is the Rebecca & Jack Benaroya Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony and Conductor Emeritus of the Mostly Mozart Festival. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Music, Conducting and Orchestral Studies at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.

His considerable discography of over 350 albums showcases his collaborations with some of the world’s greatest orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra,  London Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony, Orchestre National de France, Tokyo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony and Seattle Symphony, among others. His recent projects include a recording of Arthur Foote’s long-forgotten Cello Concerto with cellist Julian Schwarz and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Delos Records).

Schwarz began his professional career as co-principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic and has held Music Director positions with the Mostly Mozart Festival, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and New York Chamber Symphony. As a guest conductor, he has worked with many of the world’s finest orchestras and has led the San Francisco, Washington National, Julliard and Seattle opera companies on many occasions. He is also a gifted composer and arranger with an extensive catalogue of works that have been premiered by ensembles across the United States, Europe and Korea.

Schwarz is a renowned interpreter of 19th century German, Austrian and Russian repertoire in addition to his noted work with contemporary American composers. He completed his final season as music director of the Seattle Symphony in 2011 after an acclaimed 26 years — a period of dramatic artistic growth for the ensemble. Schwarz championed American composers and contemporary music throughout his tenure, culminating in a final season featuring 22 world premieres. He also played a pivotal role in the development of Benaroya Hall, the orchestra’s acclaimed home.

Over his more than five-decade career, Schwarz has received hundreds of honors, including nine Emmy Awards, 15 GRAMMY nominations, eight ASCAP Awards and the Ditson Conductor’s Award from Columbia University. He was the first American named Conductor of the Year by Musical America and has received numerous honorary doctorates, including one from The Juilliard School. His memoir, Behind the Baton: An American Icon Talks Music, was published in 2017. In 2026, the New York Youth Symphony honored Schwarz with the Theodore L. Kesselman Award for Arts Education, recognizing him the extraordinary impact of his career and his enduring contributions to the arts and cultural life of the U.S.

Photo: IndieHouse Films, courtesy of Palm Beach Symphony.