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About the Composer

Yekaterina Merkulyeva

Composer, Teacher of Piano, Theoretic Subjects.

Yekaterina Merkulyeva was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She graduated with honors from the piano department of the Rimsky Korsakov College of Music under Galina Orlovskaia. She studied composition with Yuri Falik in the Saint Petersburg conservatory where she graduated in 1983. Ms. Merkulyeva’s Carnival Overture for Symphony Orchestra was performed at the 19th Leningrad Spring Music Festival in 1983. Her various compositions include piano, chamber orchestral vocal and choral music. Her compositions of modern and ensemble folk music have been performed in Russia, Latvia, Georgia, Belarus and Czech Republic. Ms. Merkulyeva taught composition in the Saint Petersburg Music School, and numerous music festivals and concerts have featured her students’ compositions. Additionally, she has taught piano, music theory, keyboard harmony and composition at the Bronx Music School/Mercy College. Upon her arrival to New York in 1990 she performed her pieces on the program “The Vera Allik Show”(on WEBR-CA,Channel 17). Her compositions were performed in the Nicholas Roerich Museum concert hall and at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium in the concert “Bridge”, featuring new and contemporary music by American and European composers.  Music critics have written. “Ancient folk roots, cry, lamentations and speech traditions are widely used in the music, Yekaterina Merkulyeva’s pieces. They are amazing melodic, and singing” Ms. Merkulyeva’s composition style combines traditional Russian folk music with Russian Contemporary Music of the 20th century.

          In 1999 Ms. Merkulyeva became a member of the Piano Teacher Congress of New York and joined the New York Composers Circle as a composer member in 2006. In 2007 her composition “Mirage” was performed in the concert “New Music” at Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space by Vassa Shevel. Her works have been performed at the concert dedicated to 20th Century Russian Music” at the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts, at the Queens Borough Public Library and Steinway Hall. In 2012 “Mirage” was also performed by Maxim Anikushin at Carnegie Hall’s Stern auditorium in the concert” Celebrating the first Russian American history month”. In 2014 Ms. Merkulyeva became a member of the New York Women Composers Inc. In 2015 Vassa Shevel performed Ms.Merkulyeva’s works in the concert “Russian Composers living in America” at the Center for Jewish History.  The World Premiere of “Masks and Miracles” was performed at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Brewster, NY on September 2015 by Vassa Shevel. “Masks and Miracles” also was performed by Vassa Shevel on February 2016 in the concert “New Music” at Saint Peter’s Church Citigroup Center. In 2017 Maxim Anikushin performed some pieces from Russian-American Suite by Ms. Merkulyeva in Springtime Concert at Saint Frances Cabrini Shrine.  Ms.Merkulyeva is continuing to compose songs, music for piano and for other instruments as well and also maintains her private teaching practice.

        Her students participate every year in the concerts “Incentive Program”, “Encore Recital”, “Piano Plus” from the Piano Teachers Congress. Also in 2019 her students participate in the New York Concert Festival Competition and Naomi Gelfer and Maya Khesin performed in the Winners’ Recital at the Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch Performing Arts Center March 31st.

Bio: About
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