Conductor Gerard Schwarz, Music Director of North Carolina’s Eastern Music Festival (EMF) since 2008, has extended his contract through the festival’s 2026 season. Schwarz, who joined EMF as Music Advisor in 2005 and became Principal Conductor the following year, has been integral to the festival’s success.
Founded in 1961, EMF attracts several hundred young musicians each summer and features distinguished visiting guest artists, performances, and community programs. Under Schwarz’s leadership, new initiatives such as the Conducting Scholars Institute and the Euphonium-Tuba Institute have been established.
In addition to his role at EMF, Schwarz is the music director of the All-Star Orchestra, the Palm Beach Symphony, and the Mozart Orchestra of New York. He also serves as Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Emeritus of the Mostly Mozart Festival. His extensive discography includes over 350 albums, recorded with many of the world’s top orchestras.
“It is a great pleasure and honor to continue to make music in my summer musical home of the Eastern Music Festival through 2026,” said Schwarz. “Working with so many wonderful musicians, both faculty and students, as well as a very supportive staff and board, brings me great joy. The vibrancy and enthusiasm of the Greensboro area audience is very special, and I am very excited to see what the next three years bring.”
“We are delighted that our collaboration with Gerard Schwarz will continue,” said Melanie Tuttle, EMF board chair. “He is an integral part of why our festival is so widely and highly regarded. The Board of Directors faced a very easy decision to renew our relationship with Jerry. We look forward to the coming seasons of magical music-making at EMF.”
