Meet Michelle Merrill

by Susan Garrett

eet Michelle Merrill

Rapidly rising conductor, Michelle Merrill, will soon be joining our community as Music Director and Conductor of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia (CSG). A passionate and dynamic artist, Michelle hopes to bring about a new wave of excitement for each concert program of the 20182019 season, her first with the symphony. “That is what is so enchanting about music as an art form,” she says, adding that “it is ever changing and evolving.”

On meeting Michelle, one is struck by her energy and enthusiasm for music and for life. She and her husband Steve Merrill, principal percussionist of the Jacksonville Symphony

and the CSG, have a new musician in the family – their eight-month old son, Davis. “He is the light of our lives right now,” says Michelle, who is proud to show you a photo of Davis with a pair of his dad’s drumsticks.

Merrill currently serves as the Associate Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra where she helps plan and conduct over 30 concerts per season, including the renowned educational webcasts, which have reached over 100,000 students to date in classrooms throughout the nation. “For me, it is a thrill to be able to stand in front of a group of people and help transform the music on the page into a cohesive idea and shape, based upon what I think the composer is trying to say,” she says. Her recent and upcoming conducting engagements include symphony and philharmonic orchestras in Canada and throughout the United States.

In March 2014, Ms. Merrill stepped in on short notice with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra at Southern Methodist University for their performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4 which music critic Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News described as “stunning” and later named to his list of Top Ten Classical Performances of 2014. Recent praise came from her classical debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 – from memory. Her performance was described as “reassuringly old-world … yet with a New World bloom that trod freshly-mown grass and also looked skywards.”

Born in Dallas, Texas, Michelle studied conducting at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, where she holds a Master of Music Degree in conducting and a Bachelor of Music in performance. As an undergraduate she studied saxophone, but since the sax is not a standard orchestral instrument, she realized there would not be a lot of opportunities to play orchestral music full-time. However, she also loved conducting and leading ensembles as far back as high school, and that seemed to be a natural direction for her. “I like to think of the relationship between myself and the orchestra as a collaboration,” she says, adding that “the interplay between conductor and orchestra, conductor and individual musician, musician and musician is what gives the music life and fully connects everyone to the music-making experience.”

Michelle enjoys cooking, running, hiking, and spending time with her husband and son when she is not busy traveling. How does she manage it all? “It’s all about support. My husband Steve is an amazing spouse and father, and we both lean on each other when we are busy with our respective careers.” Michelle notes they are also fortunate to have parents that sometimes travel to help with their son, Davis. They all live in Texas, and this arrangement gives them time to spend with Davis and he with them. “We are lucky in that he is a superb travel companion. I think that in his short eight months, he’s already been on 15 individual flights!”

Michelle joins an organization which began in 1982 with the vision of two public school teachers, Michelle Lazarus and Michael Smith. Their leadership helped establish the Brunswick Community Orchestra which was later incorporated and in 1994 renamed The Coastal Symphony of Georgia. Conductors Nicholas Palmer, Roger Born, Richard Suggs, Kermit Breen, Richard Larson, and Vernon Humbert took the podium through the years. All of them contributed to the growth of the community-based orchestra, particularly Vernon Humbert who added a number of professional musicians to the mix.

In 2013, Maestro Luis Haza was named Music Director with a vision of providing the best in musical excellence for our community. Under his leadership, the Symphony became entirely comprised of professional musicians from throughout the Southeast. “Maestro has done a masterful job of bringing nothing but exceptional symphonic performances to (continues)

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“I like to think of the relationship between myself and the orchestra as a collaboration.”

our community,” says Linda Muir, president, CSG. “In Michelle, we saw the musicality, artistry, verve, and virtuosity necessary to carry that mission forward.”

Michelle is eager to begin the 2018-2019 CSG season, to get to know more about the people and places of the Golden Isles, and to grow the Symphony. “We have such a wonderful array of musicians in the Coastal Symphony, and I want everyone in the Golden Isles to know it,” notes Michelle. A strong advocate of new music, she hopes to be able to expand current offerings so that more people will be able to experience the symphony, and to showcase music from all eras. “There are so many exciting, new pieces out there that people don’t realize will become the next favorite piece on their playlist.

If you see this delightful woman around town, be sure and say hello. You will be captivated!

For more information about the Coastal Symphony of Georgia and its upcoming season, visit coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org.

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