marcelinemerrill.art

About

After their first heart surgery at the age of nine, Marceline Merrill found companionship and solace at the piano. Through their authentic approach, her poised yet emotionally dynamic playing weaves colorful stories that can only be told by music.

As a testament to her beloved craft, Marceline holds over 35 awards and distinctions from smalltown Idaho to international acclaim. Most notably, she has won first prize in the state MTNA Young Artist Competition, first prize in the ISCS Young Artist Competition, first prize in the Musicians West Piano Competition, second prize in the international Euterpe Music Awards, as well as prizes from the 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 International Bradshaw and Buono Piano Competition, the 2021 International Medici Music Competition, and the 2021 Clara Schumann International Music Competition.

Since their Orchestral Debut with the Idaho State Civic Symphony’s Myth, Magic, and Madness concert season, Mrs. Merrill has continued to perform regularly. She prioritizes curating programs that engage her audiences, and she is praised for her Teaching Artistry on the stage. She is also a sought-after collaborative pianist and is a proponent of performing, commissioning, and premiering the music of living composers. The 2023-2024 concert season included nearly 30 performances, with just over 13 different programs of music and several world premieres of new works.

Marceline is also an active pedagogue. Students in her studio have gone on to compete in piano competitions, attend competitive private schools, successfully complete top Royal Conservatory of Music Recital Exams, play at Julliard, and apply for Fulbright Scholarships among their many other accolades. Most importantly, her students learn to love music and enjoy playing the piano in addition to being successful musicians.

Mrs. Merrill is passionate about preserving these great traditions in classical piano. She also believes that music and music education should be available to all. She is the founder and director of Next Golden Era, an organization dedicated to raising and distributing funds for equity-based music lesson scholarships. She also volunteers and collaborates with the New England Piano Teachers Association, the Dedham School of Music, the Volunteer Musicians Association as well as the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy.

As a lifelong learner, Marceline believes that music teaches the soul, and as long as she plays, she will be its student. This love of learning has helped her graduate Magna cum laude from Idaho State University with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and a minor in voice. She also holds a Master of Music degree from Longy School of Music of Bard College. There, she was a proud scholar of Janet and Irv Plotkin, a teaching assistant, a graduate fellow, and an assistant editor to The Ensemble and The World Ensemble. Their mentors include Brandon Bascom, Kori Bond, Mark Neiwirth, Wayman Chin, and Spencer Myer.