After their first heart surgery at the age of nine, Marceline Merrill found companionship and solace at the piano. Through her 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 small town 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 from the International Euterpe Musical 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, the 2022, 2023, the 2024 Carles and Sophia International Piano Competition, and the 2021 Clara Schumann International Music Competition, among many others.
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 is praised for her Teaching Artistry from the stage. She is also a sought-after collaborative pianist and is a proponent of performing, commissioning, and premiering the music of living composers. Marcy has been teaching piano for a decade. Specializing in advanced students preparing for auditions, adult beginners, and pedagogy for young beginners, Mrs. Merrill devises a curriculum catered to each student and class to best inspire a love of learning, a love of music, and a healthy self-relationship. Here is a quote from her teaching philosophy: “Her teaching focuses on the techniques of Golden Era piano playing through the lens of modern educational practices. She specializes in the Old Russian School technique, descendent of Rosina Lhévinne (Van Cliburn's Teacher) and Joseph Lhévinne (Adele Marcus’ teacher), the Lesetchesky approach (descendent of Beethoven), the Taubman technique, and a strong focus on tone production and phrasing. Mrs. Merrill teaches about harmony, structure, form, aural theory, anatomy, and most importantly, developing a connection to each student's inner musical voice through interpretation.”
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 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 Equal Access Music Group, the Volunteer Musicians Association, and the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy to promote excellence, equity, and diversity.
As a lifelong learner, Marcy believes that music teaches the soul, and as long as she plays, she will be music's 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. Her Mentors include Brandon Bascom, Kori Bond, Mark Neiwirth, Wayman Chin, and Spencer Myer.