Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz is a composer, pianist, and violist whose pieces incorporate a fascination with the rhythms and patterns of the world around us into a playful and lyrical style. Her diverse inspirations have included liturgical chant, basketball games, and the growth patterns of plants. She has been commissioned by organizations such as the Ohio Music Teachers Association, the Johnstone Fund for New Music, Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival, Dance NOW! Miami, and the Westerville Symphony. Her music has been performed in national and international venues such as the Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference, the National Flute Association Convention, the International Computer Music Conference, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Recordings include And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, which can be heard on Joseph Van Hassel’s solo percussion album Correlates on Soundset Recordings, and Les Crapauds de la Fontaine (The Toads from the Fountain) for bass clarinet and electronics on Ravello Records' Mind and Machine Vol. 2. Recent projects include Kate and the Beanstalk, a musical setting of the book by Mary Pope Osborne with illustrations by Giselle Potter for the Westerville Symphony’s Tunes and Tales program.

 

Dr. Merkowitz is Professor of Music at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, where she has taught composition, theory, aural skills, and electronic music since 2008. In 2022, she was named Teacher of the Year. Prior teaching appointments include the College of William and Mary in Virginia and Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. A native of the Niagara Falls, NY area, Dr. Merkowitz holds a BA in Music and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Richmond and an MM and DMA in Composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She lives in Westerville, Ohio with her husband and two sons. You can listen to more of her music at https://soundcloud.com/jennymerkowitz.