Jennifer Bernard Merkowitz is Professor of Music at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, where she has where she has taught composition, theory, aural skills, and electronic music since 2008. She is a composer, pianist, and violist whose pieces incorporate a fascination with the rhythms and patterns of the world around us into a playful and lyrical style. She has been commissioned by organizations such as the Ohio Music Teachers Association (2017 Composer of the Year), the Johnstone Fund for New Music, Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival, and Dance NOW! Miami. Recordings include Les Crapauds de la Fontaine (The Toads from the Fountain) for bass clarinet and electronics on Ravello Records' Mind and Machine Vol. 2. Recent projects include Kate and the Beanstalk, a musical setting of the book by Mary Pope Osborne with illustrations by Giselle Potter for the Westerville Symphony’s Tunes and Tales program. A native of Niagara Falls, NY, Dr. Merkowitz holds a BA in Music and a BS in Computer Science from the University of Richmond and an MM and DMA in Composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She lives in Westerville, Ohio with her husband and two sons. For more information and samples of her compositions, please visit: https://www.jbmcomposer.com.