One of the most engaging features of the Dessoff Choirs: its ninth Music Director. Mr. Merriweather…radiates charm, intellect and warmth. That he is accomplished is evidenced by his many excellent performances…What I find especially engaging is his total command of his work coupled with his obvious connection to the singers. He conducts without wasted motions. It’s a pleasure to watch him (and hear him sing and play the organ) and a delight to listen to the chorus as they respond.”-New York Arts

“…a double chorus (well drilled by the director Malcolm J. Merriweather).”-The New York Times

Athlone Artists is pleased to announce that Grammy-nominated conductor and baritone Dr. Malcolm J. Merriweather is joining the roster. Merriweather is currently the Director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus and Music Director of New York City’s The Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra. He is also Professor of Music and the Tania León Endowed Chair of Music at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Merriweather has appeared at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to conduct the choir and orchestra in the world premiere of Handel: Made in America with Terrance McKnight and soloists Latonia Moore, J’Nai Bridges, Noah Stewart, and Davóne Tines. He also recently conducted works by Mary Lou Williams at Walt Disney Concert Hall for Solange Knowles’s series Glory to Glory (A Revival for Spiritual and Devotional Art).

Merriweather has been making music his entire life, “but I think that my first musical experiences started in the church, like a lot of people,” he laughs. 

Merriweather was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, and grew up in Buffalo, New York. He spent most of his early years at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Buffalo, which provided a solid foundation for his career. “At the age of 9, I was making music at a professional level, every week, multiple rehearsals per week, singing publicly on Sunday mornings and evenings.”

Singing works like Handel’s Messiah and Mendelssohn’s Elijah made lasting impressions on Merriweather’s palate (he has since conducted both works with The Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra), though one composer who is especially close to his heart is Margaret Bonds.

Merriweather’s family has roots in the Deep South, and having spent summers in Alabama for most of his life, he connects with Bonds and the notion of racial equality that she sought to bring to the classical community. Merriweather is recognized for the world premiere recordings of Bonds’ The Ballad of the Brown King, Credo, and Simon Bore the Cross (AVIE Records) with The Dessoff Choirs and Orchestra.

“Margaret Bonds’ work is not only beautiful music, but the cry for social justice that is threaded through many of her works is historically interesting. You’re able to peel back the layers of what she was grappling with as a Black woman in the 1950s and ’60s. That’s fascinating to me because of my own background.”

Merriweather continues to research, study, and record symphonic choral music by Black women composers of the 20th century beyond Margaret Bonds.

Merriweather received a Bachelor of Music from Syracuse University, followed by a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music. A year later, he earned a second Master of Music in Voice Performance and Literature from Eastman, followed by his Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from Manhattan School of Music.

“My master’s recital project was conducting Mozart’s Requiem with chorus, full orchestra, and soloists—all students at the Eastman School of Music, but it was an above-average recital. It was sold out; everyone came to this performance and wanted to be a part of it. It was so much fun to come up with an artistic vision for a multi-movement work for orchestra and choir. I think at that moment, I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Merriweather’s career hit a milestone when he was appointed Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs. His tenure has positioned him as a major leader in the field of choral and symphonic choral music, while giving him a platform to champion both the standard repertoire and music that has historically been overlooked. “This is a 100-year-old institution with a storied history, and to be trusted with that legacy; I took that seriously, and I still, to this day, am very proud to be a leader of that organization,” Merriweather beams.

One of his most memorable experiences with the choir was a transcendent performance of Tania León’s It’s a Journey and Verdi’s Requiem with Angela Meade, J’Nai Bridges, Won Wee Choi, and Kevin Short. “To combine the Dessoff Choirs with the symphonic choir at Trinity Wall Street in that religious space with a sold-out crowd after the pandemic—that was unforgettable.”

His appointment as Director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus launched in 2022, when he prepared the professional choir for three programs throughout the season with Maestro Jaap van Zweden, including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the reopening of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. He is thrilled to continue his work with the institution alongside Gustavo Dudamel this season, preparing five concerts for the maestro. “Particularly, I’m excited about Bernstein’s Mass and preparing the choir for Tosca at Carnegie Hall.” He looks forward to a long tenure working with Maestro Dudamel and spectacular guest conductors.

This season, he is eager to conduct Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with The Dessoff Choirs. He also prepares the chorus for two appearances with Andrea Bocelli at Madison Square Garden.

Merriweather’s bucket-list pieces to conduct include Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, William Grant Still’s Troubled Island, and Britten’s War Requiem. As a singer, he is particularly drawn to German Lieder.

In his limited free time, Merriweather enjoys tending to his collection of plants, which includes Japanese Maples and Crape Myrtles. He also loves to cook, bake, and connect with people over food.