Photo by Brenna Campbell
Spencer Merk is a trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator located in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College Conservatory of Music with a degree in Music Education with a concentration in Jazz Studies in the Spring of 2021. In 2022, Spencer won the International Trombone Association’s J.J. Johnson Competition for Jazz trombonists under the age of 25. In 2024, his piece “Perry’s Ferry” won the U.S. Naval Academy Band’s Call for Scores Competition. In 2025, his piece “On the Beaches, In the Streets” was awarded an Honorable Mention for the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers awards. He has two recordings out as a leader (Last Place in a Bear Race-2022, At Least-The Merk Brothers-2023).
Spencer has had the pleasure of performing professionally with world-class musicians such as Jeff Hamilton, Maria Schneider, Sean Jones, Umphrey’s McGee, Jeff Coffin, Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter, Kim Deal (The Pixies, The Breeders), Mike Gordon (Phish), Scott Robinson, Joel Frahm, Walfredo Reyes, Jr., Manolo Mairena, Richard Johnson, Rachel Eckroth, Sam Blakeslee, Gary Winters, Byron Stripling, Ty Taylor, Troy Roberts, Alex Pope Norris, Fran Vielma, and John Von Ohlen. Spencer is in high demand in Cincinnati and Baltimore and has led bands at the BLINK Festival and the Columbus Jazz and Ribs Festival. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by Umphrey’s McGee (featuring Jeff Coffin), Warren Wolf, The U.S. Naval Academy Band’s Superintendent’s Combo, Mike Gordon, Walfredo Reyes Jr., the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (featuring Jim Snidero), the OMEA District 13 Honor Jazz Band, the University of Dayton Jazz Band, and the Original Farm League Big Band.
As an educator in Cincinnati, Spencer maintained an active private lessons schedule as an adjunct professor at Xavier University, at Walnut Hills High School, and with his own personal studio. Spencer directed the Cincinnati youth Jazz at Dusk Combo from 2019-2023 and the Tri-State Jazz Ensemble from 2021-2023. Spencer held the position of Director of Educational Programs for the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. He is currently studying as a Graduate Jazz Fellow at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University.