Patrick Merrill is a harpsichordist, organist, and pianist based in the Washington, DC area, active as a soloist, collaborative keyboardist, conductor, and educator. His work centers on historically informed performance and musicianship, with a particular emphasis on improvisation.
Dr. Merrill completed the Doctor of Musical Arts in harpsichord performance at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he was a recipient of the Dean’s DMA Fellowship. His doctoral lecture recital explored thoroughbass and counterpoint in early eighteenth-century Germany, reflecting his broader scholarly interest in historical approaches to harmony, improvisation, and pedagogy. He previously earned the Master of Music in harpsichord performance and the Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Peabody, where he also served as a teaching assistant in ear training.
As a performer, Dr. Merrill appears regularly with leading early music and choral organizations, including the Washington Bach Consort, Tempesta di Mare, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Mountainside Baroque, Pro Musica Rara, Modern Musick, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. His recent performances include chamber and continuo work, solo recitals, and collaborations with artists such as Barthold Kuijken, François Lazarevitch, and Paul O’Dette. In 2016, he was awarded second prize at the eighth Mae and Irving Jurow International Harpsichord Competition. He has also participated in master classes with Davitt Moroney and Trevor Pinnock on historic instruments and served as accompanist and faculty collaborator at the Amherst Early Music Winter Workshop and the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute.
An experienced educator, Dr. Merrill has taught for over a decade at The George Washington University and the Baltimore School for the Arts, where his teaching spans music theory, aural skills, keyboard skills, music history, ensemble leadership, and private performance instruction. His pedagogy emphasizes singing, listening, improvisation, and keyboard harmony as foundational tools for musical understanding, bridging historical practice with contemporary teaching contexts. He has directed and coached early music ensembles, led choral rehearsals, and supported student performers across a wide range of repertory and genres.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Merrill serves as choirmaster and organist at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church in Washington, DC.