Just seven years after its founding in 1870, Syracuse University welcomed its first students into the Department of Music and became the first American university to grant a degree that required four years of study in both music and theory.
From the hallowed halls of Crouse College, home of the Rose, Jules R., and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, students have long pursued knowledge in composition, performance, music education and the music industry, molding the beginnings of remarkable careers in their chosen fields.
Conductor Malcolm J. Merriweather ’07 is one of many who have wandered those halls and are taking the lessons learned here to the national and international stage, making their marks on the world of music now and into the future.
As a professional conductor and renowned baritone vocalist, Malcolm J. Merriweather has spent much of his life in a tuxedo.
He grew up singing in a men and boys cathedral choir in Buffalo, New York, cutting his teeth on professional-level musicianship while college still seemed like a far-off pursuit. “I was lucky to have experienced music-making at a very high level as a child,” he says. “We sang multiple times per week, rehearsing, traveling and performing with a professional orchestra.”
This early exposure to major musical performance is what led Merriweather to Syracuse University to pursue his dual undergraduate degree from Setnor and the School of Education’s music education program program. “It all started with my audition. I received such a warm welcome from the faculty, the director, the voice teachers, everyone,” he recalls. “They made me feel like I could make Syracuse a home.”
As Merriweather settled in at Syracuse, Setnor faculty encouraged him to try directing and conducting music. “Choosing Syracuse University for my undergraduate career was the best decision I could have made,” he says. “My professors encouraged me to explore the many facets of professional musicianship. I don’t think I could have had the same experiences at a conservatory or a school that’s focused purely on music. The size of Syracuse afforded me many opportunities.”
Among these opportunities: Merriweather learned to play the pipe organ in Crouse College, something he continues to this day. He began working with former faculty member and Syracuse Children’s Chorus founder Barbara Tagg to lead musical ensembles. He became involved with the a cappella group Orange Appeal (“the original all-male a cappella group at Syracuse University”), first as a singer and eventually as the music director.
All of these experiences combined, Merriweather says, are what led him to pursue graduate degrees in conducting after graduation. He went on to earn a master’s degree in choral conducting from the Eastman School of Music and a doctor of musical arts degree at Manhattan School of Music. Since then, he’s brought his extensive education to life as assistant professor, director of choral studies and voice department coordinator at Brooklyn College, music director of New York City’s The Dessof Choirs, and artist-in-residence at Union Theological Seminary.
Notably, Merriweather also serves as artistic director of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation’s Voices of Haiti, a 60-member children’s choir from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The choir has performed all over the world, including for Pope Francis at the Vatican. The purpose of the program, as Merriweather describes it, is to bring dignity and solace to the lives of Haitian children through music, singing, collaboration and community. “Working with Voices of Haiti is one of my great joys,” he says. “The children who sing with us are excellent musicians. We’re teaching them how to read music while providing an opportunity to travel around the world and see what is outside of Haiti.”
Merriweather’s dynamic and meaningful career was largely influenced by his experience at Syracuse University. “As an artist, performer and educator, I feel like I wouldn’t have such a successful career if it wasn’t for the great instruction in voice, musicianship and ear training by the faculty at Setnor.” To show his appreciation, he stays connected to his alma mater, periodically returning for guest lectures and serving as a member of the college’s Young Alumni Council.
Reflecting on what he hopes the coming decades will bring for him as a musician, Merriweather’s answer is simple: “I hope they continue to be full of joy and love for my profession. That’s all I could ask for. I feel very privileged to love what I do and get paid to do it.”
Merriweather was also profiled in the New York Times “Sunday Routine” section in 2016.