Gerard Schwarz
Gerard Ralph Schwarz is one of the world's leading conductors, particularly noted for music of the first great age of American symphonism. He has also been one of the great trumpet virtuosi.
He began studying the trumpet when he was a boy of eight. He attended the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan during the summers of 1958-1960 and studied at New York's High School of Performing Arts (the Fame school). He studied trumpet with William Vacchiano, trumpeter of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1968). He received his Bachelor's Degree from the Juilliard School in 1972. Meanwhile, he had debuted as a conductor in 1966.
During this time he had been busy as a trumpeter. He joined the American Brass Quintet in 1965 and with it toured the United States, Europe, and Asia, remaining with the ensemble from 1965 to 1973. He was a trumpeter in the American Symphony Orchestra from 1966 to 1972, becoming its first trumpet in 1969. With that orchestra he played a considerable quantity of new and American music. During this period is was also a member of the Aspen Festival Orchestra and the Casals Festival Orchestra. He was appointed co-principal trumpet of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1972 to 1975. As a trumpet player he made a number of important recordings, many of which are now in the CD catalogues.
He was the first wind player to win the Ford Foundation Award for concert artists (1971-1973), which enabled him to commission a trumpet concerto from Gunther Schuller, and commissioned a number of other trumpet works from composers including Dlugoszewski and Brant.
Meanwhile, he pursued a conducting career. In 1968 he began conducting for the Eliot Feld Dance Company of which he became Music Director. He also was music director of the Waterloo Festival, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. In 1975 he was appointed music director of the 92d Street Y Chamber Symphony, which was later renamed the New York Chamber Symphony and has maintained that position since. He became music director of New York's Mostly Mozart Festival in 1982, and also remains in that position. IN 1981 he founded the Music Today contemporary music series in New York, serving as its music director through 1989.
In 1983 he was named Music Advisor of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. In 1984 he became its Principal Conductor, and in 1985 its Music Director. With the Seattle Symphony he has become known for having one of the most innovative and wide-ranging programming of any major symphony orchestra, with a strong emphasis on music of the great American symphonic composers such as Hanson, Diamond, Creston and their contemporaries, a large amount of which he has recorded for the audiophile CD label Delos. He has guided the orchestra to its highest artistic level, and seen it through construction and occupancy of its new venue, Benaroya Hall. He is also artistic adviser of the Tokyu Bunkamura's Orchard Hall, where he conducts the Tokyo Philharmonic in six concerts annually.
© Joseph Stevenson /TiVo
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Moravec: The Shining
Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Gerard Schwarz
Opera - Released by PENTATONE on 5 Apr 2024
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
Hanson: Complete Symphonies
Seattle Symphony, Seattle Symphony Chorale, Susan Gulkis, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos Special Projects on 24 Jun 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n°1 à n°3
Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 5 Jul 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies Nos. 2 and 6
Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 15 Jul 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies Nos. 2 and 4
Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 15 Jun 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 & 24
Eugene Istomin, Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Reference Recordings on 1 Jan 1996
24-Bit 176.4 kHz - Stereo -
Handel: Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, Nos. 1, 6 & 9 - Vivaldi - C.P.E. Bach: Flute Concertos
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Scott Goff, Gerard Schwarz
Concertos - Released by Naxos on 5 Jun 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphonies n°1 et n°50
Seattle Symphony, Ronald Johnson, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 3 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 7 Aug 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Moby Dick - Symphonies n°3 et n°7
Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 3 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Symphonic Fantasy on Die Frau ohne Schatten - Serenade, Op. 7 - Symphonic Fragment from Josephs Legende
David Ritt, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 2 Oct 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
HAYDN, F.J.: Piano Concertos in D major / G major / STRAUSS, R.: Burleske in D minor (Carol's Concerto Collection) (Rosenberger)
Carol Rosenberger, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony
Classical - Released by Delos on 14 Feb 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky: The Firebird & Fireworks
Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 13 Nov 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Hovhaness: Meditation on Orpheus
Seattle Symphony Chorale, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 3 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Manfred: Overture - Piano Concerto - Overture, Scherzo and Finale
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Bella Davidovich, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 7 Aug 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
BEETHOVEN, L. van: Symphony No. 5 / Piano Concerto No. 4 (Rosenberger, London Symphony, Schwarz)
Carol Rosenberger, London Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Delos on 1 Jan 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5 / The Golden Age Suite (Dmitry Shostakovich)
Classical - Released by Artek on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 2, "Lobgesang"
Margaret Chalker, Madeline Rivera, Vinson Cole, Seattle Symphony Chorale, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 3 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2
Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Classical - Released by Naxos on 7 Aug 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky Rite of Spring, Petrouchka, Classical Musically Speaking
Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony Stravinsky Orchestra
Classical - Released by Musically Speaking, Inc. on 7 May 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Smoke and Mirrors: Vanish
Smoke and Mirrors Percussion Ensemble, Colburn Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Chamber Music - Released by Yarlung Records on 4 Nov 2013
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo