Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City and raised there, in Long Island, and (briefly) in France. He studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while still in high school, and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with a B.F.A. in Drama. While still in college, he did summer stock at the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, New Hampshire, where he worked as director, musical director, and choreographer for many shows. Upon graduation, he worked as a producer for RCA Records, but shortly thereafter began to work in the Broadway theatre.
His first major credit was the title song for the play Butterflies Are Free; the song was used in the movie version as well. In 1971, he wrote the music and new lyrics for Godspell, for which he won several awards, including two Grammys® (for Best Writer and Best Producer). This was followed by the English texts, in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein, for Bernstein's Mass, which opened the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. The following year, he wrote the music and lyrics for Pippin, and two years later, for The Magic Show. Next were the music and lyrics for The Baker's Wife, which closed before reaching Broadway after an unsuccessful out-of-town tryout tour -- however, the cast album went on to attain cult status, leading to several subsequent productions, culminating in a London revival directed by Trevor Nunn in 1988.
Schwartz's next Broadway project was a musical version of Studs Terkel's Working, which he adapted and directed, winning the Drama Desk Award for Best Director; he also contributed four songs to the score. Next came a one-act musical for children, The Trip. In 1986, he provided lyrics for Charles Strouse's music for Rags, which, after an unsuccessful initial Broadway run, followed the now familiar route of successful cast album and subsequent productions, including a well-received revival at the American Jewish Theatre in New York. He also wrote the score for Children of Eden, a book by John Caird, which was presented in workshop at New York's Playwright's Horizons.
In film, he has collaborated with composer Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features POCAHONTAS and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. He received two Academy Awards® (for Best Song and Best Score From A Musical or Comedy) for his songs for POCAHONTAS (1995).
Schwartz has taken an active interest in discovering and developing new musical talents and, over the past four years, has joined forces with Disney and ASCAP to oversee their Musical Theater Workshop. His recent projects include the music and lyrics for the DreamWorks SKG animated feature THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (1998); the music and lyrics for the Disney television musical Geppetto (for The Wonderful World of Disney); a revised version of Working -- featuring new material -- which opened at the Signature Theatre in Washington, DC; the first major U.S. production of Children of Eden (at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey), and -- last but certainly not least -- his first-ever solo album, entitled Reluctant Pilgrim (available from Midder Music, 275 W. 96th St #5R, New York, NY 10025 / 212-665-0699 / MIDDER2000@aol.com). For further info, visit Stephen's web site -- http://www.stephenschwartz.com.
Best Achievement in Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) 1995: POCAHONTAS (Song Score w. Alan Menken; Orchestral Score by Alan Menken)
Best Achievement in Music (Original Song) 1995: POCAHONTAS "Colors of the Wind" - Lyric
Nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) 1996: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Song Score w. Alan Menken; Orchestral Score by Alan Menken)
Nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) 1998: THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (Song Score; Orchestral Score by Hans Zimmer)
Best Achievement in Music (Original Song) 1998: THE PRINCE OF EGYPT "When You Believe" - Music & Lyric
Nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Song) 2007: ENCHANTED "Happy Work Song" - Lyric
Nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Song) 2007: ENCHANTED "So Close" - Lyric
Nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Song) 2007: ENCHANTED "That's How You Know Him" - Lyric
8 nominations, 3 Awards