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Stephen Schwartz is a legendary American composer and lyricist, celebrated for his profound impact on musical theater and film, creating some of the most beloved and enduring scores of the last 50 years. Born in New York City, Schwartz attended Juilliard before dropping out to pursue Broadway. He achieved early fame writing music and lyrics for Godspell (1971) and Pippin (1972) while still in his early twenties. He later contributed songs to Disney animated films like Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and achieved global superstardom with the musical Wicked (2003). A multiple Grammy and Drama Desk Award winner, he is also a three-time Oscar winner and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theater Hall of Fame.

• Schwartz famously dropped out of Juilliard's drama program after his first year to focus on musical theater, a bold move that paid off spectacularly.
• Godspell, developed collaboratively off-off-Broadway, became a surprise international phenomenon, launching Schwartz's career.
• After a period of less successful Broadway shows in the late 1970s (The Magic Show, The Baker's Wife) and film work (1978's The Magic Show adaptation), he shifted focus to writing songs for Disney animated features in the 1990s, winning Oscars for Pocahontas ('Colors of the Wind') and The Prince of Egypt ('When You Believe').
• Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire's novel reimagining The Wizard of Oz, overcame mixed initial reviews to become one of the most successful musicals in history, running for over two decades on Broadway and spawning countless international productions.
• He is known for mentoring young musical theater writers through programs like ASCAP's Musical Theatre Workshop, which he has led for decades.