Michael Pratt, Music Director
Music Director of the Delaware Valley Philharmonic since 1990, Pratt has appeared with some of the leading ensembles in the United States, including the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, the orchestras of Detroit, Rochester, Atlanta, Long Island, and Indianapolis.
Previously, Pratt served as Associate Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony, and has appeared with the Trenton Symphony, the Riverside Symphonia, and has conducted the American Repertory Ballet Orchestra company’s Nutcracker performances since 1996.
Appointed to the faculty at Princeton University in 1977, Pratt conducts the University Orchestra, is director of the Program in Musical Performance, and teaches conducting on both the undergraduate and graduate level. Pratt was educated at the Eastman School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and Tanglewood. His conducting teachers were Gustav Meier, Gunther Schuller and Leonard Bernstein.
Ruotao Mao, Concertmaster
Violinist Ruotao Mao, a native of Beijing, China, graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with “distinction in performance” award. He earned his Master Degree in Music from the Mason Gross School of the Arts where he studied under violinist Arnold Sternhardt of the Guarneri String Quartet. He also studied with Dorothy Delay, Paul Kantor and Masuko Ushioda.
As a chamber musician, he is one of the founding members of the former Beijing Piano Quartet, winner of “Artists International Chamber Music Series” with appearances in Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center and also the highly acclaimed Amabile String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at Rutgers University(2000 and 2001). As a soloist, he appeared with orchestras such as the Jupiter Symphony, NEC Symphony, Corelliard Chamber Orchestra, the Brunswick Symphony Orchestra, Riverside Symphonia, Edison Symphony, the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and Rutgers University Orchestra among many others. He had performance tours in Korea and Colombia, South America.
He performed on WNYC broadcasts and is a recording artist for the CRI and Beijing Broadcast Labels. Mr. Mao also serves as the concertmaster of the Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra, Riverside Symphonia, the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and Edison Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, Mr. Mao was appointed as violin and viola faculty at The College of New Jersey.
Dr. Milton Schwartz, Concertmaster Emeritus
Dr. Milton Schwartz, musician and physician, grew up in the Feltonville section of Philadelphia, graduating from Olney High School. His undergraduate and medical studies at Temple University were followed by an internship at Lower Bucks Hospital, Bristol, after which, he served as a Flight Surgeon with the U.S. Air Force in Frankfurt, Germany. He has been a Family Practioner in Bucks County for 38 years, as well as an active member of three medical associations.
Dr. Schwartz began his musical vocation at the early age of five. Following six years of private lessons, he attended conservatory training first at Settlement Music School, and then at the New School of Music, studying with violin guru, Jascha Brodsky. He graduated in 1956.
A professional freelance musician and member of Local 77, A.F.M, Dr. Schwartz has performed with the Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra (DVPO) for the past 35 years, currently as Concertmaster emeritus. He is the Concertmaster of the Newtown Chamber Orchestra (NCO). Along with his musicianship, he is on the Boards of Trustees of both orchestras. Dr. Schwartz has also served on various non-profit boards, including the Settlement Music School and the Greater Trenton Symphony Orchestra.
He and his wife, Phyllis reside in Buckingham Township. Their children have given them the pleasure of three wonderful grandchildren - Kyle, Sophie and Isaiah.
