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The American baritone and choral conductor, Malcolm J. Merriweather, began his professional musical training as a chorister in the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, in Buffalo, New York. He obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Syracuse University, summa cum laude; his Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and in Vocal Performance from the studio of Rita Shane, dramatic coloratura soprano at the Eastman School of Music; and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the studio of Kent Tritle at the Manhattan School of Music, 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.
Malcolm J. Merriweather enjoys a professional career as a baritone, conductor and educator. Recent soloist engagements have included the baritone solos in Rautavaara’s Vigilia as a part of the Great Music in a Great Space series at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; the music of William Byrd with Parthenia; and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with the Grace Choral Society. Additionally, he has been featured as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Dessoff Choirs, the New York Choral Society, and Bach Vespers Choir and Orchestra at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City. The baritone has premiered contemporary solo works by Eve Beglarian, John Liberatore, Ju Ri Seo, Douglas Fisk, and James Adler. He has been a fellowship recipient at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and at the Tanglewood Music Center. Soloist engagements for the 2017-2018 season include the premiere of Sanctuary Road by Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Moravec with Kent Tritle and the Oratorio Society of New York; Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and R. Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with Christopher Shepard and The Masterwork Chorus.
Malcolm J. Merriweather is Music Director of New York City's The Dessoff Choirs, known for their performances of great choral works from the pre-Baroque era through the 21st century. He is an Assistant Professor, Director of Choral Studies and Voice Department Coordinator at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Artist in Residence at Union Theological Seminary (since 2015-2016 season), and the Artistic Director of “Voices of Haiti,” a 60-member children’s choir in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, operated by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. In 2015–2016 season, he began his tenure as Artistic Director of the West Village Chorale. He is the New York ACDA Repertoire and Standards Chair for Music and Worship and has conducted festival choirs throughout the Eastern United States.
Recent conducting highlights have included W.A. Mozart’s Requiem, Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. During the summer of 2017 Malcolm J. Merriweather leads the “Voices of Haiti” in performances with Andrea Bocelli at Teatro del Silenzio and for Pope Francis. Other highlights of the 2017-2018 season include: David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion and R. Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem with The Dessoff Choirs. George Frideric Handel’s Messiah at Brooklyn College and the Harvard Club of New York; Leonard Bernstein’s Mass (Concert Selections) Arthur Honegger’s King David at Brooklyn College; and J.S. Bach’s Singet dem Herrn, BWV 225 and Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229 with The Dessoff Choirs.
His professional affiliations include membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, the American Choral Directors Association, and Chorus America. He currently lives in New York City. |
