Benjamin Velez

Benjamin Velez is a composer/lyricist and Columbia graduate (114th Varsity Show), born and raised in Miami, FL. Proud member of the Advanced BMI workshop (2012 Harrington Award) and a Sundance Artist at Ucross. His work has been at MTF, Ars Nova, NAMT, NEO, the Civilians, 4@15, and Joe's Pub. His musical AFTERLAND, written with Katie Hathaway, was developed at the Yale Institute for Music Theater and the York Theater, directed by Mark Brokaw. He developed BOOMERANGS (also with Hathaway) at Dixon Place (2017) and Manhattan School of Music (2021), directed by Jaki Bradley. His musical BORDERLINE, written with Aryanna Garber, won the 2018 Weston Playhouse New Musical Award, and opened the 2019 O’Neill Musical Theater Conference. It will have its world premiere at Delaware Theater Company in April 2023, directed by Sarna Lapine.

He was a 2018-2019 Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow, the 2019 Fred Ebb Award Winner, a 2020 Thom Thomas Award winner, and a 2020 Jonathan Larson Grant recipient. His musical KISS MY AZTEC, written with John Leguizamo, Tony Taccone, and David Kamp, was developed at the Public Theater (2018), before premiering at Berkeley Rep (2019), followed by a run at the La Jolla Playhouse (2019). It will be presented at Hartford Stage in June of 2022. Other upcoming projects include a Public Theater commission, a commission by La Jolla Playhouse for an original musical he’s writing with Harrison David Rivers, and co-writing the score on a Broadway-bound adaptation, directed by Sergio Trujillo.

Instagram: @benjaminvelezmusic