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Draft:Malcolm J. Merriweather draft

Malcolm J. Merriweather is a GRAMMY nominated American conductor based in New York City. He is the director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus and music director of The Dessoff Choirs and orchestra. He is Professor of Music and the Tania León Endowed Chair [1]at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Career

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Since 2022, Merriweather has directed the fully professional New York Philharmonic Chorus. The chorus was praised for its debut performances for the reopening of the renovated David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. The chorus has been featured on PBS Great Performances in Aaron Zigman's Émigré: A Musical Drama with the NY Phil and NY Phil Reopening of David Geffen Hall, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The New York Philharmonic Chorus traveled to Shanghai in 2023 to deliver the world premiere and record Émigré with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

Merriweather is a frequent guest conductor having lead the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, NOVUS, The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and Chineke! Orchestra.

In 2016, Merriweather joined the Dessoff Choirs as the ninth music director.

Also, Merriweather is a singer of concert repertoire. Notable performances include Handel's Messiah at Carnegie Hall and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem. The baritone can be heard on the GRAMMY nominated recording of Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell's Sanctuary Road.

Margaret Bonds

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Merriweather has championed the symphonic choral works of Margaret Bonds through performance, recording, and creating critical editions. His editions the cantatas, The Ballad of the Brown King and Simon Bore the Cross are available for performance[2]. He was responsible for illuminating Rollo Dilworth's edition of Margaret Bonds's magnum opus, Credo.

Discography

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Bonds: Credo & Simon Bore the Cross, AV2589, The Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra

Margaret Bonds: The Ballad of the Brown King, AV2413, The Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra

"None More than You" by Eve Beglarian, Rough Magic, Roomful of Teeth with The Dessoff Choirs

Sanctuary Road, Naxos, The Oratorio Society of New York

Education

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Merriweather earned a Bachelor of Music Education with Performance Honors from Syracuse University where he studied voice with Eric Johnson and organ with Christopher Marks. At the Eastman School of Music, he was award a Master of Music in Conducting and a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Literature under the tutelage of William Weinert and Rita Shane, respectively. Merriweather was the first person to complete the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting at Manhattan School of Music. He studied with Kent Tritle where his doctoral dissertation, “Now I walk in Beauty, Gregg Smith: A Biography and Complete Works Catalog,” constituted the first complete works list for the composer and conductor. He was a fellow at Tanglewood Music Center in 2011.

Early Life

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Merriweather was born in Battle Creek, MI in 1985 and baptized at Mount Zion A.M.E Church. After his family relocated to Western New York, he was accepted as at chorister in the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Paul's Cathedral, Buffalo. In addition to singing, he studied violin and piano.

References

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https://malcolmjmerriweather.com/biography/

https://www.avie-records.com/composers/margaret-bonds/

https://www.nyphil.org/about-us/artists/new-york-philharmonic-chorus/

  1. ^ Merriweather, Malcolm (Brooklyn College). "Faculty". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Merriweather, Malcolm (Website). "Margaret Bonds Recordings and Editions". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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