Beginning of the end

Images L to R: Premiere reading of ‘My Robot Boyfriend’ at Lincoln Center • Gabe in Tisch New Theatre’s ‘Next to Normal’ (photo by Christabelle Tan) • Recording strings for my debut solo album • Drums/Ensemble in ‘The Wildness’ at Playwrights Downtown

The fall 2018 semester marked, in many ways, the beginning of the end—I passed the halfway point in college, turned 21, and began thinking seriously about my artistic identity and how that would manifest in a career. Coming back to theatre, both as a composer and an actor, made me realize how much the art form means to me. One of my biggest goals over the next three semesters is to explore how theatre can intersect with the rest of my influences in meaningful and innovative ways. I also won the Alan Menken Composition Scholarship, released a single with Amelia Murray, and worked on a handful of other musical projects.

In the spring, I’ll be heavily involved in more live performances than all of my time at NYU combined. Highlights include the Pulsing & Shaking new music festival in February, which I’m co-artistic directing and premiering a new piece in, a Guest Artist position with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, the release of C3’s sophomore EP, playing on my friends’ solo projects, and my junior recital in April. In addition, long-term plans for my senior recital are beginning to coalesce, which will involve a live multimedia performance of an hour-long chamber-suite-meets-concept-album, set for release at the end of my NYU career in 2020.

I’d like to thank all my friends and past/future collaborators for making this past semester a great one—among them Andi Lee Carter, Amelia Murray, Danica Jensen, Kait Warner, Dakota Mar, Aron Kobayashi Ritch, Rohan Chander, David Mayers, Dani Strigi, Yaz Lancaster and Natalie Young (and Mocca!).

Alan Menken Scholarship!

I recently was told the news that I am the recipient of NYU Steinhardt’s prestigious Alan Menken Scholarship, which contributes to my tuition for my remaining 3 semesters at NYU. Mr. Menken (the Grammy, Tony & Oscar-winning composer of Little Shop of Horrors, Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and many more) personally selects each year’s winners from a pool of Composition majors. Past winners include Brian Lowdermilk and Caleb Hoyer.

Tisch New Theatre's NEXT TO NORMAL

Photo by Christabelle Tan.

In the fall of 2018, I was cast as Gabe in a production of NEXT TO NORMAL mounted by Tisch New Theatre—an entirely student-run organization that seeks to make professional-caliber theatrical productions accessible to all NYU students. Starting mid-September, we launched into an intense rehearsal process that culminated in a 2-week Off-Broadway run at the historic SoHo Playhouse. I couldn’t be more proud of my fellow castmates, the brilliant creative and design teams, and all the band and crew members that brought one of my favorite musicals to life.

More production photos and videos will soon be available on the Media page of this site.

Broadway World Photo Flash

Washington Square News article

A semester abroad in Prague

I spent the Spring semester of 2018 abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. It was my first time in Europe and in addition to the rich culture, travel opportunities, and stellar faculty made available to me while studying there, I spent a great deal of time thinking about my relationship to music/the arts in general and where I fit within that massive network.

Creatively, I composed two concert works: a 2-movement piece for bassoon & piano, premiered by myself and David Mayers at the end-of-semester concert, as well as my first electroacoustic piece, for solo snare drum and electronics. I began work on my debut solo album, which I plan to use as my culminating project at NYU and release just before I graduate in 2020. Additionally I was involved in a few collaborative projects with other students at NYU Prague. 

Check the 'Works' page of this website, as well as my Soundcloud for the recordings of these works, which should be on their way in the next few months. Really excited for what my remaining two years in undergrad will bring. 

C3's 'The Unanswered Question' released!

From December 2016 to April 2017, my band C3 was hard at work on our debut EP, titled 'The Unanswered Question' (after Leonard Bernstein's Harvard Norton lecture series of the same name, in turn named after the Charles Ives piece). I had a hand in composing and/or arranging 3 of the 5 tracks, which were the product of 17 musicians, 6 recording engineers, 4 composers/arrangers and a whole lot of late nights, long days and stressful moments. We premiered the new music at 2 live shows in Brooklyn leading up to the release, which we held as a joint release show/party with fellow NYU-based band Tabemono on a friend's rooftop—and the free beer seemed to attract quite a crowd. 

Listen to the EP

Review in Washington Square News

C3's Facebook page

Tabemono's EP "You Dim Sum, You Lose Some" 

Sweeney Todd with the New York Philharmonic

In 2014 I had the opportunity to play Tobias in Live From Lincoln Center's national concert broadcast of Sweeney Todd, at (then-named) Avery Fischer Hall with the New York Philharmonic onstage with us. The production featured Bryn Terfel in the title role, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lovett, Audra McDonald as the Beggar Woman, and Christian Borle as Pirelli. Lonny Price, who directed a similar 2001 broadcast with Patti LuPone and Neil Patrick Harris, was at the helm of this re-imagining of, arguably, Stephen Sondheim's finest score. Under the baton of Alan Gilbert, it never sounded better. 

Links to reviews/promotional material:

Review in The New York Times

Review in The Guardian

Broadway World opening night highlights