New York City-based conductor and baritone Malcolm J Merriweather has been appointed as the director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus.
A newly-formed ensemble that is also a fully professional AGMA chorus, of which Merriweather will be the first-ever director, the New York Phil Chorus has its premiere performances during the David Geffen Hall Opening Galas, starting with The Journey on 26 October at 7:00pm featuring some of opera and Broadway’s biggest stars – Renée Fleming, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bernadette Peters, and Vanessa Williams – and followed by The Joy on 28 October at 7:00pm, featuring the world premiere of a New York Philharmonic-commissioned work by Angélica Negrón, with text by Ricardo Alberto Maldonado, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9., conducted by Jaap van Zweden.
Merriweather – who’s also a baritone singer – has enjoyed a versatile career with performances ranging from the songs of Margaret Bonds to gems of the symphonic choral repertoire. He is an Associate Professor, Director of Choral Studies, and Voice Department Coordinator at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, 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.
He also holds a 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. He received Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance from the studio of Rita Shane at the Eastman School of Music, as well as his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Syracuse University, summa cum laude. His professional affiliations include membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, the American Choral Directors Association, and Chorus America.
Merriweather’s 2022-2023 season includes galas and subscription concerts at David Geffen Hall as the New York Philharmonic’s Chorus Director. More at: http://malcolmjmerriweather.com