Adam Gwon is an American composer and lyricist living in New York City.

Personal life

Gwon was born in Boston, and spent his childhood in Baltimore before attending

New York University Tisch School of the Arts The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University. Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the ar ...

. While studying acting at NYU, Gwon was encouraged to pursue writing by a teacher, David Bucknam, and was later mentored by the musical theater writing team of

Lynn Ahrens Lynn Ahrens (born October 1, 1948) is an American writer and lyricist for the musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Awa ...

and

Stephen Flaherty Stephen Flaherty (born September 18, 1960) is an American composer of musical theatre and film. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/book writer Lynn Ahrens. They are best known for writing the Broadway musicals ''Ragtime'', whi ...

. Gwon is of Chinese-American and Jewish descent.

Professional life

Gwon made his off-Broadway debut in 2009 with ''

Ordinary Days ''Ordinary Days'' is a sung-through musical with music and lyrics by American composer Adam Gwon. Set in New York City, the musical follows four characters, Claire, Jason, Warren, and Deb, exploring how their ordinary lives connect in the most ama ...

'', the first musical production in

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...

's black box space, Roundabout Underground. In 2011, Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, premiered Gwon's musical ''The Boy Detective Fails'', based on the novel by Joe Meno, as part of their American Musical Voices Project.

South Coast Repertory South Coast Repertory (SCR) is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California. Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson, is led by Artistic Director David Ivers and Managing Direc ...

commissioned and premiered his musical ''Cloudlands'', written with Octavio Solis, in 2012. In 2015, Gwon had two simultaneous world premieres, both co-written with

Julia Jordan Julia Jordan is an American playwright, television writer, and screenwriter. She is a graduate of Barnard College, class of 1989, and received a master's degree from Trinity College Dublin. Biography Jordan was born in Chicago and spent much of h ...

: ''Bernice Bobs Her Hair'', adapted from the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and ''Cake Off'' at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. ''Cake Off'' received a

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

nomination for Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation.

Village Theatre Village Theatre is a major regional theatre located in the Seattle metropolitan area. It is a member of Theatre Puget Sound and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. The theatre was founded in Issaquah, Washington, in 1979 and built a second lo ...

in Issaquah, Washington, produced the world premiere of Gwon's musical ''String'', with a book by Sarah Hammond, in 2018. Gwon's ''

'' was preserved on a cast album and has been produced in London's West End and around the world from Paris to Rio de Janeiro. A 2018 revival by the Keen Company was nominated for a

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

for Best Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical. Gwon's song "I'll Be Here" was recorded by

Audra McDonald Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four act ...

on her album ''Go Back Home''. McDonald has performed the song in concert, including at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. It aired on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center in 2013. He served a three-year term on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee, beginning in 2015. Gwon's musical ''Scotland, PA'', with book by

Michael Mitnick Michael Mitnick (born September 7, 1983) is an American playwright and screenwriter. Early life Mitnick grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and attended Fox Chapel Area High School, a public school in the Allegheny Valley. His father is a profe ...

, adapted from the cult 2001

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, premiered at Roundabout Theatre Company's Laura Pels Theatre in 2019.

Honors

In 2008, Gwon was the fourth annual recipient of the Fred Ebb Foundation Award, presented to aspiring composer/lyricists. In 2011, Gwon received the Kleban Prize for most promising musical theater lyricist. The award included a $100,000 cash prize.

Musicals

*''

'' (2009) *''The Boy Detective Fails'' (2011) *''Cloudlands'' (2012) *''Bernice Bobs Her Hair'' (2015) *''Cake Off'' (2015) *''String'' (2018) *''Scotland, PA'' (2019)

Discography

*''Ordinary Days'' *''Go Back Home'' *''The Essential Liz Callaway'' *''Because'' *''16 Stories''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwon, Adam Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American lyricists American male composers People from Boston