The 2005-06 season marks Gerard Schwarz's 21st year with the Seattle Symphony. In September 2001 Maestro Schwarz became Music Director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. From 1982 to 2001 he was Music Director of New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival and currently serves as Conductor Laureate. Mr. Schwarz co-founded the New York Chamber Symphony in 1977 and served as its Music Director through the ensemble’s 25th anniversary season in 2002.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Gerard Schwarz began his conducting career in 1966. Within 10 years he was appointed Music Director of the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, the Eliot Feld Dance Company, the Waterloo Festival and the New York Chamber Symphony, as well as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. In 1981 he established the Music Today contemporary music series in New York City, and served as its Music Director through 1989.

In 1983 Gerard Schwarz came to the Seattle Symphony as Music Advisor. The following year he was appointed Principal Conductor, and since 1985 has held the post of Music Director. Maestro Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony have released more than 80 compact discs for Delos, EMI, Koch International, New World, Nonesuch, Reference Recordings, RCA, Master Musicians Collective (MMC) and Artek.

Gerard Schwarz was named 1994 Conductor of the Year by the Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts. He has also received the Ditson Conductor’s Award from Columbia University, an honorary Doctorate of Music from The Juillliard School, as well as honorary doctorates from Fairleigh Dickinson University, the University of Puget Sound, and Seattle University. In May 2002 the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awarded special recognition to Maestro Schwarz for his efforts in championing the works of American composers and the music of our time. Schwarz was recently appointed to the National Council on the Arts.

Schwarz's concert prelude, In Memoriam*, was composed in 2005 for his son Julian Schwarz, as first recipient of the David Tonkonogui Memorial Award, established by MOR in memory of the beloved cellist.

In 2005, Schwarz’s original work In Memoriam for cello and string orchestra was premiered at MOR’s May 2005 concert In Defiance. It was performed by Julian Schwarz, the first recipient of the David Tonkonogui Award. Music of Remembrance P.O. Box 27500 Seattle, WA 98165-2500 Phone: 206-365-7770 Fax: 206-985-6924 info@musicofremembrance.org A frequent guest conductor with Music of Remembrance, he was a founding member of MOR’s Advisory Board.

*Voted Best New Work of 2005 – Seattle Weekly, Music Critic Gavin Borchert