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President Bush Announces Nomination of Conductor Gerard Schwarz to Serve on the National Council on the Arts
January 13, 2004
Washington, D.C. - President George W. Bush has nominated music director and conductor Gerard Schwarz to serve on the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the National Endowment for the Arts. National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia said, "A major conductor and long-time champion of American music, Gerard Schwarz is the ideal member for the National Council on the Arts. I couldn't be happier than with his nomination." Maestro Schwarz is in his 19th season as music director of the Seattle Symphony and his third season as music director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He was central to the creation of Benaroya Hall, the Seattle Symphony's concert hall, which opened in September 1998. Under his direction, the Symphony has released over 85 compact discs. Among those, the Symphony's many recordings of music by contemporary American composers have received 10 Grammy nominations. From 1982 to 2001, Maestro Schwarz was music director of New York's Mostly Mozart Festival where he led the orchestra in debuts at the Tanglewood and Ravinia festivals as well as nine years of performances in Tokyo at Tokyu Bunkamura's Orchard Hall. He co-founded the New York Chamber Symphony in 1977, serving as music director through the ensemble's 25th anniversary season in 2002. Maestro Schwarz has guest conducted most of the great orchestras of the world, making his operatic conducting debut in 1982 with the Washington Opera. His numerous television credits include annual appearances on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center series with Mostly Mozart. He was named 1994 Conductor of the Year by Musical America International Directory of the Performing Arts, the first American to receive this award. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Ditson Conductor's Award from Columbia University and holds an honorary Doctorate from The Juilliard School. In May 2002, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized the Maestro as a champion of American music. Maestro Schwarz's nomination will be reviewed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is the committee chairman and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is the ranking member. Once confirmed, Maestro Schwarz will serve until September 2006. The National Council on the Arts advises the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts on policies, programs, and procedures for carrying out the agency's functions, duties and responsibilities. Council members are chosen for their widely recognized knowledge of the arts, their expertise or profound interest in the arts, and their established record of distinguished service or achievement in the arts. For more information about the National Council on the Arts and its Members, visit http://www.arts.gov/about/NCA/About_NCA.html or contact the NEA Office of Communications at 202-682-5570.
National Endowment for the Arts |
