JÖRG-MICHAEL SCHWARZ, a prize winner in several international violin competitions, has performed as soloist and chamber musician throughout the Americas, Asia, Australia & Europe. A recipient of numerous grants and scholarships, he studied violin with Max Rostal and Berta Volmer in Cologne, Germany, and with Dorothy DeLay and Jens Ellerman at the Juilliard School. Early on in his career Mr. Schwarz concentrated on chamber music, studying with the Melos, Amadeus and Juilliard Quartets as well as Felix Galimir. As soloist he has appeared with the Scottish Chamber Symphony under Yehudi Menuhin, the Berne Symphony Orchestra, the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra and the Heilbronn Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. Co-founder of the Ravel Quartet Köln (1978-81), the Orfeo Chamber Soloists (1979-82) and the Monadnock Quartet (1984-88), he was concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra (1984-85) and the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra (1984-88).

He has performed with Marie Leonhardt, Jaap Schroeder, Albert Fuller, Reinhard Goebel, the English Baroque Soloists, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Anima Eterna, the Smithsonian Chamber Orchestra and Musica Antiqua Köln. A co-founder of the award-winning baroque ensemble REBEL, with whom he performs extensively, he has also served as concertmaster of the Connecticut Early Music Festival Orchestra (1990-92), the Barockorchester Stuttgart (1992-96), Grande Bande (New York),the New York Collegium, American Bach Soloists and the Portland Baroque Orchestra.

He has played under the batons of Gustav Leonhardt, Frans Brüggen, Ton Koopman, Philippe Herreweghe, John Eliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington and Fabio Biondi. Mr. Schwarz has been a featured performer at early music festivals throughout the world, including those in Boston, Berkeley, Utrecht, Herne, Stuttgart, Regensburg, Halle, Bruges, Vienna and Ambronay (France).

His recording of the Vivaldi Four Seasons was released in 1992 on Chesky Records; he can also be heard on Channel Classics, ERATO, Sony, Smithsonian Press, Arabesque, PGM, Vox Classics, ATMA Classique and Koch International. With the baroque ensemble REBEL he records for Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Hänssler Classic, Dorian Recordings and Bridge Records.

Mr.Schwarz is an avid wine enthusiast and collector of antiques.