Announcing Michelle Merrill as Winston-Salem Symphony Music Director 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (June 21, 2023) – The Winston-Salem Symphony is thrilled to announce the appointment of Michelle Merrill as the new Music Director for the symphony. There was an announcement event held on Tuesday, June 20th at the Gas Hill Drinking Room. 

Merrill is the first woman to serve as the Symphony’s Music Director and the only female to lead a professional orchestra in the Carolinas. An acclaimed conductor and experienced music educator, Merrill was one of six international candidates in a highly competitive audition process. Merrill has inspired audiences nationwide with her sharply detailed and vibrant performances. A passionate and dynamic artist, she served four years as the Assistant and then Associate Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where she also carried the title of Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador. Merrill most recently served as the Music Director of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, where she ignited the growth and expansion of the orchestra’s offerings both on and off the stage. 

Looking forward to the new appointment, Merrill stated: 

It is truly a privilege and an honor to be named Music Director of the Winston-Salem Symphony. From the first time I came to the city, I could tell it was a special place, full of vibrancy and innovation. I immediately felt a strong artistic and personal connection with everyone involved in the organization, and I look forward to continuing the traditions that have been cultivated over the past 76 years while adding my own style and perspective. This orchestra has the power to inspire every person who walks through the door with unforgettable musical experiences, and I am incredibly excited to be a part of the symphony’s mission to bring music to life. 

I believe that we can make the Symphony’s programs relevant to people from all walks of life, creating experiences that invite as many people as possible to personally experience the joy of this great art form. It is invigorating to see how music can transform individuals, both young and old, and make them feel something they didn’t know they could before. Music has a way of communicating emotions you cannot adequately describe in words. We all need that feeling, that escape, that way to react and respond to everyday life. Music – and especially live music – is the perfect outlet for that expression, and the music education of everyone from students to seniors is such an important component of what we do. 

People always return to what excites them. The performances I experienced with the orchestra and chorus members this past May were electrifying, and moving towards the future, I look forward to working together with the incredibly dedicated musicians in this orchestra to awaken something in loyal patrons and newcomers alike so that they are compelled to return and discover what the Winston-Salem Symphony has to offer next. 

“The Winston-Salem Symphony is thrilled to welcome Michelle as our new artistic leader. A gifted creative professional, and a warm and welcoming human being, her passion and enthusiasm for the Symphony’s potential to grow and enhance its service to the community is infectious. She effortlessly makes every person she meets feel special, and her ability to connect with people is evident in the magic she makes on stage. We can’t wait to see where her innovative leadership takes us,” said E. Merritt Vale, Winston-Salem Symphony President & CEO.  

Jay Reed, Chair of the Winston-Salem Symphony Board of Directors, added, “We are very grateful to Search Committee Chair Dr. Cindy Rothschild and all the members of the Committee who brought us to this exciting conclusion. Michelle demonstrated an unmatched ability to connect with this community and to reach people in a way that will make the Winston-Salem Symphony a more inclusive, relevant, and exciting cornerstone of our arts community.” 

The Winston-Salem Symphony announced the formation of a Music Director Search Committee in January 2022 to replace former Music Director Timothy Redmond, who resigned in August 2021. Through an ambitious “by invitation” search process it was able to cut a traditional search timeline in half. A competitive field was narrowed to six competitive candidates, and each came to Winston-Salem for an exhaustive audition week that included multiple opportunities for community engagement and two Classics Series concert performances. Merrill was the final candidate to take the podium, conducting an ambitious concert cycle featuring both the orchestra and the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus.  

Merrill will take the podium for the first time as the Winston-Salem Symphony’s Music Director for the Classics Series season-opening concert on September 23 and 24, 2023. This blockbuster concert will feature music by Leonard Bernstein along with soloist Kristin Lee performing Brahms’s moving Violin Concerto. Merrill will conduct all six 2023–2024 Classics concerts and three of the four Pops concerts, including one with bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs, a celebration of Fleetwood Mac, and Winston-Salem’s own Nia Imani Franklin in an evening of gospel and R&B favorites. Merrill will also conduct the holiday favorite Handel’s Messiah and the Symphony’s free Concert for Community. Subscriptions for Merrill’s inaugural season are available now. Individual ticket sales will be available on August 1. For more information, visit wssymphony.org or call the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145. 

About Michelle Merrill 

Michelle Merrill served four years as the Assistant and then Associate Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and also serves as the Music Director of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, where she has ignited the growth and expansion of the orchestra’s offerings both on and off the stage.  

Ms. Merrill is a proud recipient of a 2016 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award as well as the prestigious 2013 Ansbacher Conducting Fellowship as awarded by members of the Vienna Philharmonic and the American Austrian Foundation, which enabled her to be in residence at the world-renowned Salzburg Festival. Born in Dallas, TX, she studied conducting with Dr. Paul C. Phillips at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, where she holds a Master of Music Degree in conducting and a Bachelor of Music in performance and music education. Apart from music, she loves cooking, running, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her husband, Steve Merrill, who serves as the principal percussionist of the Jacksonville (FL) Symphony, and their two sons, Davis and Emmett. For a full biography, visit michelle-merrill.com. 

About the Winston-Salem Symphony  

Proud to be one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, the Winston-Salem Symphony enters its 76^th season, inspiring listeners of all ages throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad with various concerts, education programs, and community engagement initiatives each year. Website Linked HERE. 

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