Conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather to Kick Off 2023-24 Season With Concerts Around NYC

New York City-based conductor and baritone Malcolm J. Merriweather, who was appointed as the director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus during the 2022-2023 season, kicks off his 2023-2024 season with concerts around NYC including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, David Geffen Hall, and more. Merriweather continues his role as Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs in what will be the beginning of a two-year 100th anniversary celebration, leading works by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Felix Mendelssohn, Vicente Lusitano, Herbert Howells, R. Nathaniel Dett, Florence Price, Adolphus Hailstork, Valerie Capers, and James Whitbourn.

Merriweather leads The Dessoff Choirs in the first concert of their centennial celebration - Some Enchanted Evening on Friday, October 13, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. at Roulette in Brooklyn with beloved selections from Rodgers & Hammerstein's iconic American musicals. On Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 7:30 p.m., Merriweather leads The Dessoff Choirs as they join with the Cathedral Choir of Abyssinian Baptist Church to present Mendelssohn's Elijah at Abyssinian's landmark location in Central Harlem. Soloists include bass-baritone Davóne Tines in the titular role, soprano Marsha Thompson, mezzo-soprano Patrice P. Eaton, and tenor Noah Stewart.

On Friday, November 17, Sunday, November 19, and Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 8:00 p.m., Merriweather prepares the New York Philharmonic Chorus for the world premiere of Émigré by Aaron Zigman and Mark Campbell at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall. The new work will be recorded by Deutsche Grammophon in live and studio sessions in the context of the world premiere performance and is due to be released in February 2024. The cast features Ben Bliss, Arnold Livingston Geis, Shenyang, Zhang Meigui, Andrew Dwan, Zhu Huiling, and Diana Newman in a gripping oratorio that traces the story of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai to escape the Holocaust. Long Yu conducts.

Later in November, Merriweather again prepares the Dessoff Choirs for three programs titled Atmospheres & Stabat Mater on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 8:00 p.m., Friday, November 24, 2023 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. at David Geffen Hall. The programs feature conductor Dima Slobodeniouk leading the New York Philharmonic. The Dessoff Choirs sings Holst's The Planets and featured soloist J'Nai Bridges will sing Julia Perry's gripping Stabat Mater for soloist and orchestra.

On Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. and Friday, February 16, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., Merriweather conducts Handel: Made in America at The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through the lens of Handel's life and works, musician and storyteller Terrance McKnight (WQXR) leads an intimate and revealing journey about art, power, history, and family, weaving his own history as a young African-American man inspired by classical music with the story of Handel's world - and the money, power, and people that moved and were moved by it. Director Pat Eakin Young (La Celestina at The Met), conductor Malcolm Merriweather (The Ballad of the Brown King at The Met), and famed Handel scholar Ellen Harris complement a cast of star opera singers: soprano Latonia Moore, mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, tenor Noah Stewart, and bass-baritone Davóne Tines.

Leading The Dessoff Choirs into the new year, Merriweather conducts Valerie Capers's "operatorio" Sojourner on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 4:00pm at Union Theological Seminary. Sojourner, which premiered in 1981, encapsulates the dramatic essence of the life of Sojourner Truth, the freed slave, abolitionist, and women's rights activist, in three episodes: Sojourner's sale as a nine-year-old at auction; her religious conversion and name change to Sojourner Truth; and her statement of the challenges to be overcome by Black individuals and women.

As director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus, Merriweather prepares the chorus for its US premiere performance of Émigré by Aaron Zigman & Mark Campbell on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, March 1, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. at the Wu Tsai Theater at David Geffen Hall. Directed by Mary Birnbaum with an international cast including sopranos Meigui Zhang, Diana Newman, and Huiling Zhu, tenors Ben Bliss and Arnold Livingston Geis, bass Shenyang, and bass-baritone Andrew Dwan, the new oratorio Émigré tells the story of Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai to escape the Holocaust in this semi-staged production conducted by Long Yu.

Merriweather conducts the final concerts of the The Dessoff Choirs's season on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at the Claire Tow Theatre at Brooklyn College and Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. at the Minnie Petrie Synagogue at Hebrew Union College in Manhattan with Annelies by British composer James Whitbourn. Scored for soprano, chorus, and chamber ensemble to Melanie Challenger's libretto of extracts from "The Diary of Anne Frank," Annelies shares the teenager's remarkable and penetrating observations, written while she hid with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Times and locations to be announced.

Closing out the season, Merriweather prepares the New York Philharmonic Chorus for three performances of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony with the New York Philharmonic together with soprano Hanna-Elisabeth Müller and mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova conducted by Jaap van Zweden on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 7, 2024 at 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. at David Geffen Hall.

Merriweather's full season can be found at www.malcolmjmerriweather.com.

Performance Details:

Some Enchanted Evening

Friday, October 13, 2023 at 7:30pm
Roulette | 509 Atlantic Ave | Brooklyn, NY
Tickets: $20 - $100
Link: https://www.dessoff.org/events/some-enchanted-evening

Program:
Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II - Selected works

Artists:
The Dessoff Chamber Choir
Malcolm J. Merriweather, conductor
_____________________________

Elijah

Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 7:30pm
Abyssinian Baptist Church | 132 W 138th St | New York, NY
Tickets: $20 - $50
Link: https://www.dessoff.org/events/elijah

Program:
MENDELSSOHN - Elijah

Artists:
The Dessoff Choirs & Orchestra
The Cathedral Choir of Abyssinian Baptist Church
Malcolm J. Merriweather, conductor
Davóne Tines, Elijah
Marsha Thompson, soprano
Patrice P. Eaton, mezzo-soprano
Noah Stewart, tenor
_____________________________

Émigré

Friday, November 17, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall | Shanghai, China

Program:
Aaron Zigman & Mark Campbell - Émigré (world premiere)

Artists:
Shanghai Symphony
Long Yu, conductor
New York Philharmonic Chorus
Malcolm J. Merriweather, director
Meigui Zhang, soprano
Diana Newman, soprano
Huiling Zhu, soprano
Ben Bliss, tenor
Arnold Livingston Geis, tenor
Shenyang, bass
_____________________________

Atmospheres & Stabat Mater

Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 24, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall | 10 Lincoln Center Plaza | New York, NY 10023
Tickets: $58 - $192
Link: https://nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/2324/holst-perry-ligeti

Program:
LIGETI - Atmosphères
PERRY - Stabat Mater
HOLST - The Planets

Artists:
New York Philharmonic
Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
The Dessoff Choirs
Malcolm J. Merriweather, director
_____________________________

Handel: Made in America

Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, February 16, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, The Metropolitan Museum of Art | 1000 5th Ave | New York, NY 10028
Tickets: Tickets will be available in Summer 2023
Link: https://engage.metmuseum.org/events/metlivearts/fy23-24/handel-made-in-america/

Program:
Selections to be announced

Artists:
Terrance McKnight, writer and performer
Pat Eakin Young, director
Malcolm J. Merriweather, conductor
Latonia Moore, soprano
J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano
Noah Stewart, tenor
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone
_____________________________

Sojourner

Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 4:00pm
James Chapel Union Theological Seminary | 3041 Broadway (at 121st Street) | New York, NY
Tickets: $20 - $50
Link: https://www.dessoff.org/events/2024/2/24/sojourner

Program:
VALERIE CAPERS - Sojourner

Artists:
The Dessoff Choirs
Malcolm J. Merriweather, conductor
_____________________________

Émigré

Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 1, 2024 at 8:00 p.m.
Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall | 10 Lincoln Center Plaza | New York, NY 10023
Tickets: $58 - $192
Link: https://nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/2324/zigman-emigre

Program:
Aaron Zigman & Mark Campbell - Émigré (US premiere)

Artists:
New York Philharmonic
Long Yu, conductor
New York Philharmonic Chorus
Malcolm J. Merriweather, director
Mary Birnbaum, director
Meigui Zhang, soprano
Diana Newman, soprano
Huiling Zhu, soprano
Ben Bliss, tenor
Arnold Livingston Geis, tenor
Shenyang, bass
Andrew Dwan, bass-baritone
_____________________________

Annelies

Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 7:30pm
Claire Tow Theatre at Brooklyn College | 2920 Campus Road | Brooklyn, NY 11210
Tickets: $20 - $50
Link: https://www.dessoff.org/events/annelies-april-27

Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 4:00pm
Minnie Petrie Synagogue at Hebrew Union College | 1 W 4th St | New York, NY 10012
Tickets: $20 - $50
Link: https://www.dessoff.org/events/annelies-april-28

Program:
JAMES WHITBOURN - Annelies
Libretto by MELANIE CHALLENGER

Artists:
The Dessoff Choirs
Malcolm J. Merriweather, conductor
_____________________________

Mahler's Resurrection Symphony

Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 7, 2024 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 8:00 p.m.
David Geffen Hall | 10 Lincoln Center Plaza | New York, NY 10023
Tickets: $79 - $215
Link: https://nyphil.org/concerts-tickets/2324/mahler-2

Program:
MAHLER - Symphony No. 2, Resurrection

Artists:
New York Philharmonic
Jaap van Zweden, Conductor
New York Philharmonic Chorus
Malcolm J. Merriweather, director
Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, soprano
Ekaterina Gubanova, mezzo-soprano

For a list of additional concerts during the 2023-2024 season, please visit www.malcolmjmerriweather.com

About Malcolm J. Merriweather

Grammy nominated conductor and baritone, Malcolm J. Merriweather, is Director of The New York Philharmonic Chorus and 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 Associate Professor at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and has also joined the faculty at Manhattan School of Music. He was the founding Artistic Director of "Voices of Haiti," a 60-member children's choir in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, operated by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation.

He enjoys a versatile career with performances ranging from the songs of Margaret Bonds to gems of the symphonic choral repertoire. The baritone can be heard on the GRAMMY nominated recording of Paul Moravec's Sanctuary Road (NAXOS). Hailed by Opera News as "moving...expertly interpreted", Margaret Bonds: The Ballad of the Brown King & Selected Songs and Credo & Simon Bore the Cross by Margaret Bonds (AVIE Records) has earned considerable praise around the world. At the invitation of Solange Knowles, he joined the interdisciplinary studio and creative agency, Saint Heron, for performances with Voices of Harlem and The Clark Sisters in Glory to Glory: A Revival of Devotional Art.

Highlights from his 2023-2024 season include a trip to China with The New York Philharmonic Choir for the world premiere of Émigré, An Oratorio with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. He returns to The Metropolitan Museum of Art for the world premiere of Handel: Made in America with soloists, Latonia Moore, J'Nai Bridges, Noah Stewart, and Davóne Tines. Continuing in his role as Director of The New York Philharmonic Chorus, he prepares the professional choir for the reprise of Émigré, An Oratorio and Mahler 2 with The New York Philharmonic. With The Dessoff Choirs he conducts Mendelssohn's Elijah, and two contemporary oratorios about the lives of Sojourner Truth (Valerie Capers) and Anne Frank (James Whitbourn).

Maestro Merriweather's 2022-2023 began leading The Choir of Trinity Wall Street in three performances (staged) of Considering Matthew Shepard. His new appointment as Director of The New York Philharmonic Chorus launched preparing the professional choir for three programs throughout the season for Maestro Jaap van Zweden including Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for the reopening of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. With The Dessoff Choirs he conducted Duruflé's Requiem, Bach's St. John Passion, and motets by Vicente Lusitano, the first Black published composer. Last season included the long-awaited release of the premiere recording of Margaret Bonds's Credo and Simon Bore the Cross with the AVIE label. His solo baritone engagements included Messiah at Carnegie Hall, and Sanctuary Road with the Cincinnati May Festival and the Penn Square Music Festival.

Merriweather 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.

Merriweather 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 studying with William Weinert and in Vocal Performance from the studio of Rita Shane at the Eastman School of Music. He earned a 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.

He was previously Music Director of the West Village Chorale, Organist and Choirmaster at the Church of St. Luke and St. Simon of Cyrene (Episcopal) in Rochester, NY, and, for five years, Associate Choirmaster at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City.

Photo credit: Stephanie Berger