Merik Royce Press Biography

Merek received his Bachelor’s Degree from Rutgers University, where he had studied with Charles Wuorinen, Pulitzer Prize Winner in Music and MacArthur Fellow. Merek finished the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in New York in 1993, then completed graduate study in film scoring at New York University later that year. He has since written music for four short films as well as for cable TV, CD-ROMs and Internet websites. Find Me A Voice, a play about the Holocaust which he scored, was premiered at the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati in 1995, and was subsequently produced in New York in 1997. Merek has also written the music for two full-length dramatic musicals, Immortal Interlude and Hyde and Seek, and has designed sound for many New York area theatrical productions, including The Art of Dining, The Perfect Party, Beyond Therapy and Belles. He recently composed opening music for a Gala Celebrity Presentation starring Gladys Knight and featuring NJ Governors Byrne and Kean at the NJ Performing Arts Center. Merek was nominated for a 1997 ACT award for Outstanding Sound Design and was also a winner of the 1995 Edmonton Vocal Minority choral competition. He is currently collaborating with Playwright-in-Residence Mark Dunn on a new play with music entitled Octet, which will be premiered by NJ Rep in the year 2000 season. Merek is a member of BMI and The American Music Center and may be contacted through his website at www.MusicNYC.com.