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Jeanine Tesori Composer


Jeanine Tesori is a composer of musical theatre, opera, and film. Her musicals include Kimberly Akimbo, Soft Power, Fun Home, Shrek the Musical, Caroline, Or Change, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Violet. She is a two-time recipient of the Tony Award® for Best Score and a two-time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Her operas include A Blizzard on Marblehead NeckThe Lion, the Unicorn, and Me; Blue, which received the MCANA Award for Best New Opera; and Grounded. She is one of the first women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.

In addition to her work as a composer, Tesori is the Co-Founder of tall popPy, inc, an artist-led social enterprise that seeks to instigate systemic change in theatre. She has also served as Supervising Vocal Producer on Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Founding Artistic Director of New York City Center’s ENCORES! OFF-CENTER series, and lecturer in music at Yale University.

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Media Blue

A quick overview of Jeanine Tesori’s 2019 opera that explores race, loss, and resilience.

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Prominent members of the Kennedy Center community of artists discuss their career paths and the importance of representation in the arts.

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