An eight-time Emmy Award-winning and 15-time Grammy-nominated conductor, Gerard Schwarz is one of the most celebrated American conductors of his generation. An alumnus and founding member of the New York Youth Symphony, he trained at Juilliard and began his career as a trumpeter, playing with the American Brass Quintet and the American Symphony Orchestra before being named co-principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic. He made his conducting debut in 1966, and within a decade had taken on music directorships with the Waterloo Festival, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the New York Chamber Symphony, which he co-founded in 1977.

His distinguished career has included major leadership roles with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Mostly Mozart Festival, where he now holds the title of Conductor Emeritus. His best-known tenure came with the Seattle Symphony, which he led as music director for 26 years, from 1985 until his retirement in 2011. There he made more than 100 recordings with the orchestra, built a repertory with particular focus on American symphonic works, and oversaw construction of the orchestra’s home, Benaroya Hall — later honored when the city named the street alongside the hall “Gerard Schwarz Place.” As a guest conductor, he has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic, and his discography now spans more than 350 recordings.

Today, he serves as Music Director of the Palm Beach Symphony and the Eastern Music Festival while continuing to champion music education, contemporary composers, and emerging artists. He is also Distinguished Professor of Music, Conducting and Orchestral Studies at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he serves as Music Director of the Frost Symphony Orchestra.