Malcolm J. Merriweather
Sergio A. Mims forwards this news:
May 24
The Dessoff Choirs today announces its appointment of Malcolm J. Merriweather as its ninth music director.
"I'm delighted with The Dessoff Choirs' appointment of Malcolm
Merriweather as their new Music Director. Malcolm is one of the bright
rising stars of his generation of choral conductors," said Kent Tritle,
Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John
the Divine and former Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs. "Dessoff is
close to my heart, and I will always be grateful to the choir for our
eight wonderful years together. Knowing them as I do, it is my great
expectation that their new synergy with Malcolm will lead to new heights
of artistic achievement."
The Dessoff Choirs today also announces its 2016-17 season, which
opens with a concert at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center-the first
time the choir has performed there since 2010.
The five-concert series reflects Merriweather's approach to
programming with a focus on connecting audiences to topical and
meaningful themes. Under his leadership, Dessoff seeks to personalize
the audience experience by extending engagement before, during and after
each concert.
Concerts include: We Remember, reflecting on the lives of John F.
Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. through music with Steven Stucky's
Take Him Earth, the premiere performance of David Hurd's
orchestrated five moment work, In Honor of Martin, and Franz Beyer's
re-orchestration of Mozart's Requiem (November 7 at Alice Tully Hall);
Welcome Yule, featuring seasonal favorites, carols, and Bach's Lobet den
Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV 230 as well as a Hallelujah Chorus sing-along;
(December 10 at Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan and December 18 at
Saint John's Episcopal Church in Brooklyn); French Fête, spotlighting
French composers of the twentieth century, including Debussy, Langlais,
Boulanger, Dupré, and Hahn (February 26 at Saint Jean Baptiste Church);
Bach, Buxtehude, and Barber, featuring the chamber choir joined by
chamber orchestra presenting Bach's Jesu meine Feude as well as Maestro
Merriweather stepping off the podium to perform Barber's Dover Beach
(April 1 at Union Theological Seminary); and A New Amorous World,
reflecting the diverse experiences of life with music from the Middle
and Far East with special guests, the Chamber Choir from the United
Nations International High School (May 14 at Fort Tyron Park and May 21
at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity).
Additionally, with Merriweather's appointment, Dessoff has launched its new logo and new website through a partnership with Raven Agency.
The new logo, comprised of dots that make up a capital "D" alongside
the choir's name, showcases the relationship between the choir and the
audience. The choir is represented by the straight line of separated
dots while the audience is represented by a curve of overlapping dots
that are closer together, nearly creating a solid curve. The two parts
come together to form the capital "D" of Dessoff. The new website
encompasses the new logo, and is easy to navigate through a streamlined
format.
In addition to his new position with Dessoff, Merriweather currently
serves as Assistant Professor and Director of Choirs at Brooklyn College
of the City University of New York, Associate Choirmaster at the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and the Music Director of the "Voices
of Haiti" children's choir in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He holds his Doctor
of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the Manhattan School of
Music. A protégé of Kent Tritle, Merriweather was the first graduate of
the new doctoral program in conducting. Malcolm recently received the
Lotos Club Award in Arts and Sciences, a prize which recognizes
individuals for distinguished accomplishments and exceptional talent in
the arts and sciences. He additionally holds Master of Music degrees in
Choral Conducting and in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of
Music.
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