Dan Mertzlufft

Daniel is a NYC based composer, arranger, orchestrator, and music director. Most known for his viral sensations The Thanksgiving Musical on The Late Late Show with James Corden featuring Audra McDonald, Patti LuPone, Josh Gad, Josh Groban, and Kristin Chenoweth, his arrangement of “Remy The Ratatouille” by Emily Jacobson that launched the Tiktok Rataouille musical movement, and The Grocery Store Musical, an arrangement of Lousia Melcher’s “New York Summer.”

Original works include Breathe: Portraits from a Pandemic, Dot and the Kangaroo, commissioned by MTI Australaisa and iTheatrics, House Rules: A New Musical based on the New York Times Best Selling novel by Jodi Picoult, far memory, commissioned by Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar for Stephanie Blythe and Alan Louis Smith, Construction Site on Christmas Night and a new score for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, commissioned by Bay Area Children’s Theatre, The Letter; A New Opera, and a new score for Laura Eason’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer commissioned by MU Summer Repertory Theatre. He is a member of the advanced class of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

Music Direction credits include; Off-Broadway: Sistas, 54 Below Sings – ABBA, Ariana Grande, Pop Hits of the 2000s, The Jonas Brothers. Readings: Monstersongs (NAMT), The Big One-Oh! TYA, and Hans Christian Anderson TYA (The Kennedy Center’s New Visions, New Voices). iTheatrics Workshops: Heathers HSE, Chicago HSE, Andrew Lloyd Webber for Young Actors Cats, Mary Poppins JR., G2K… Footloose, Newsies JR., Sister Act JR., The Drowsy Chaperone JR., My Fair Lady School Edition, Finding Nemo JR.

Arrangement & Orchestration credits include; “Princess” from Witches for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Hans Christian Andersen (additional arrangements and underscoring) The Big One Oh! (additional arrangements and underscoring), “Children Will Listen” by Stephen Sondheim, commissioned by the Junior Theater Festival for the 20th anniversary of Broadway JR. “Rainbow Connection” by Paul Williams on the occasion of his acceptance of the Junior Theater Festival Legacy Award, and over 50 songs for Oh, What a Night!, The Rhythm of Life, & Fantastical Families, and more, at Transcendence Theatre Company.

As an educator, he leads workshops at the international Junior Theater Festivals, Junior Theater Celebrations throughout the United States, and specialized music workshops for the Shubert Foundation and the NYC Department of Education.