Artistic director Richard Grant is the founding director of The Pacific Mozart Ensemble. His music education was at Stanford University where he did both undergraduate and graduate studies. Over the past 26 years he has directed PME in more than 200 concerts, presenting innovative programs from all periods and styles of music. He has established a reputation for programming the current work of the most important contemporary composers, such as John Adams, Meredith Monk, David Lang, Philip Glass, and Dave Brubeck, often by special arrangement before the works are published for concert performance.
In addition to directing PME in its own concert season, Grant has prepared choruses for a number of symphony orchestras. Most notable is his extensive work for Kent Nagano on projects such as the West Coast premiere of Messiaen's St. François d'Assise. Additionally, he has prepared choruses for Jeffrey Thomas and The American Bach Soloists.
Grant has led PME on three European concert tours. In 2005 he prepared the chorus for the Berlin performance and recording of Bernstein’s Mass with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester; this Harmonia Mundi recording went on to receive a 2006 Grammy® nomination for Best Choral Performance.
